New Delhi, February 18
Back in 2021, when current BCCI president Mithun Manhas became one of the administrators of a crisis-ridden Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA), he had to set things right in a body that was dealing with mismanagement and allegations of corruption.
On Wednesday, when the Jammu and Kashmir team created history by reaching its first ever Ranji Trophy final, Manhas could afford to be a bit emotional.
“It wasn’t very easy at that time when I took over as the administrator. The then BCCI secretary Jay Shah gave me a free hand and told me that do whatever is needed to get Jammu and Kashmir cricket back on track,” Manhas told PTI in an exclusive interaction after J&K’s six-wicket win over two-time former champions Bengal in the Ranji semifinal in Kalyani.
“I was watching the match on TV and beating a side like Bengal that had players like Mohammed Shami and Akash Deep is a huge achievement. The cricketer in me is emotional as I ended my first-class career and also worked with the state unit there.”
Talking about the team, Manhas said he always knew that talent was not an issue but a proper set-up was needed to make things happen.
“I would give a lot of credit to Brigadier Anil Gupta, who has done a commendable job. When I took over, we conducted talent hunt competition,” he said referring to his colleague in the BCCI sub-committee that oversaw J&K cricket administration back in the day.
“You see left-arm seamer Sunil Kumar, who played a big role, is a product of that talent hunt. Having played nearly two decades in Delhi, I had an idea what is required to succeed at this level. We had a Cricket Committee that did a fine job, with honesty and transparency,” Manhas, the Delhi legend with 9714 runs in 157 first-class games, said.
Jammu and Kashmir still lacks good cricketing infrastructure but what Manhas and his committee were keen on was creation of playing conditions that would help the team compete with the best in the business.
“Both the Harbux Stadium in Srinagar and the College ground in Jammu have 10 centre strips each with both red and black soil pitches. We are the only north Indian state with both black and red soil strips,” Manhas said.
“When we played against Mumbai last year and beat them, the team had travelled and practised in Mumbai at least a week before the game,” Manhas recalled. The committee was formed on the directions of Jammu and Kashmir High Court, due to mismanagement in JKCA. Roping in Paras Dogra and Ajay Sharma
PTI
