xtratime Logo

XtraTime Web Desk: Indian Cricketers Association chief Ashok Malhotra has urged the BCCI to act quickly on their demand to stay behind the former cricketers. Asserting that “nothing has happened” in the past 10 months, the former cricketer on Monday urged the BCCI to look into the body’s long-standing demands, saying the ageing former players cannot wait “forever”.
The ICA has been demanding the start of pension for former players who have played less than 25 first-class games, pension for widows of former cricketers, increase in medical insurance from Rs 5 lakh to 10 lakh and a benevolent fund to Manoj Prabhakar, whose BCCI ban ended in 2005 for match-fixing charges against him.

ICA has been doing a great job, as they have already collected a fund of around 70 lakhs and distributed it among 60 needy cricketers in the country. Very recently ICA has also supported MR Bhalla and MP Singh, who has been hospitalized because of coronavirus.

“It has been close to 10 months (since the Sourav Ganguly-led BCCI took charge) but nothing has happened for the former players. The ICA after all, is for the welfare of former cricketers and some of them who are as old as 70, cannot wait forever,” said Malhotra to PTI.

“I request the BCCI again to look into our demands. There are three former cricketers on the BCCI Apex Council (Ganguly and ICA representatives Shantha Rangaswamy and Anshuman Gaekwad. I am sure they understand the plight of the former cricketers. Four meetings (Apex Council) have taken place but nothing has happened,” he said.

The ICA is the first ever players’ association formed as per recommendations of the Supreme Court-appointed Lodha panel, was granted Rs 2 crore by the BCCI earlier this year to kick-start its operations. However, it is expected to sustain itself in the long-run.

With Inputs from PTI