Ashish Shelar replaces Sharad Pawar as interim president of MCA

MUMBAI: Almost a month after the stepping down of Sharad Pawar as its president, the Mumbai Cricket Association today nominated its vice president Ashish Shelar to fill up the post as its interim chief.

"We have today filled up the posts which have become vacant. Mr Ashish Shelar has been made the interim president of the Mumbai Cricket Association as Mr Sharad Pawar has resigned," said MCA's joint secretary, Umesh Khanvilkar after a meeting of the association's managing committee here.

Pawar had cited his ineligibility to continue as president as he had crossed the age cap of 70 laid down by the Supreme Court in its order based on the Lodha Committee recommendations and quit the post on December 17 last.

Following the elevation of Mumbai BJP chief Shelar to the helm and the other vice president's post lying vacant after the resignation of Dilip Vengsarkar, two new vice presidents have been nominated, said Khanvilkar.

"Mr Pankaj Thakur and Mr Vinod Deshpande (both managing committee members) are the two new vice presidents," said the MCA joint secretary.

"All these posts will be there till our next elections. We had to take these decisions and forward the same to the BCCI," said Khanvilkar.

He also said that the constitution committee of the MCA is already in the process of redrafting the old constitution to conform it with the Lodha Committee's reforms which have been upheld by the apex court of the country.

"The process is already on. We will change the constitution once the constitution committee completes its task and a meeting (Special General Meeting) is convened," he added.