Ghavri, Sandhu and Kukreja set to join Mumbai’s CIC

MUMBAI: Former India pacers Balwinder Singh Sandhu, Karsan Ghavri and ex-Mumbai opener Sahil Kukreja are set to join the Mumbai Cricket Association’s revamped Cricket Improvement Committee (CIC), which was in urgent need of new members.
It’s reliably learnt that all three have said ‘yes’ to a request in this regard from MCA jt secretary Unmesh Khanvilkar.
While Sandhu and Ghavri have coached Mumbai in the past or been selectors/managing committee members, this is the first time that Kukreja, who played 52 First Class matches (3027 runs@38.80) between 2005 and 2011, will take up a role with Mumbai cricket.
It’s learnt that the Committee of Administrators (CoA) running the MCA currently are keen on former India skipper Ajit Wadekar being the chairman of the CIC, but the 77-year-old may decline the offer due to health related issues. As a CIC member, Wadekar was unable to attend meetings of the committee in recent years. In Wadekar’s absence, Ghavri, who’s the senior-most ex-cricketer in the CIC, may be made the chairman of the panel.
“It’s an honour to serve Mumbai cricket in any capacity,” Ghavri, who played 39 Tests and 19 ODIs, told TOI on Tuesday.
Mumbai batting stalwart Amol Muzumdar is the only member of the CIC at the moment, after Ajit Agarkar and Pravin Amre quit it due to conflict of interest issues. Agarkar is the chief selector, while Amre is an assistant coach with the Delhi Daredevils.