BCCI should take over blind cricket from CABI, insist players

Baig and Jagtap are currently in the city, representing Maharashtra in the national blind tournament for the Siyaram Cup

India's blind World Cup-winning cricketer Anish Baig and Maharashtra's blind team skipper Prashant Jagtap urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to take over the running of blind cricket from the Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) for the betterment of players.

Baig and Jagtap are currently in the city, representing Maharashtra in the national blind tournament for the Siyaram Cup. Baig, who was part of India's T20 World Cup triumph in 2017, but was not picked thereafter has been alleging for some time now that the CABI are asking players to pay to be selected.

Blind Welfare Organisation of India chief Arun Bharaskar

No hope
He now wants BCCI to step in to stem this rot. "Why should I give CABI money to represent my country? Though I have lost all hope of being picked for the national team again, I will continue to play and perform.

"I urge BCCI to take over blind cricket from CABI and help blind cricketers like me. My World Cup-winning teammate Ketan Patel is also suffering due to this non-selection. Only if BCCI intervenes, can there be real development of blind cricket in India," Baig, who scored 32 in Maharashtra's 68-run win over Punjab at the Islam Gymkhana on Monday, told mid-day.

Jagtap said BCCI must pick India's blind team. "It's my humble request to BCCI to select the national team and organise our matches. I'm sure blind cricket will prosper under their guidance. Why should we players pay 30 per cent share of our prize money to CABI," said Jagtap.

Arun Bharaskar, President of the Blind Welfare Organisation of India, who has been organising the Siyaram Cup for the last 10 years was previously in charge of CABI's West Zone for a year (2011), but left following differences with the body and cited lack of transparency. He claimed CABI are not appropriately represented across the country. "As CABI claim that theirs is a national body, they must have affiliated state associations across the country. But these [state associations] are only on
paper," said Bharaskar.

Take over not possible
CABI chief GK Mahantesh, however, said that BCCI has no right to take over their body. "BCCI cannot take over blind cricket or CABI and can only take us along with them because we are affiliated to World Blind Cricket (WBC). CABI is an open and transparent body," said Mahantesh.

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