Shillong, Jun 11: The crisis in the Meghalaya Cricket Association took a turn with two letters from a group of Apex Council members and a number of district associations being submitted to the BCCI to call for the governing body to assume the running of the MCA.
Although his name wasn’t mentioned in either letter, it appears as if both groups of signatories are targetting MCA President James PK Sangma. Of the six elected Apex Council members, five attached their names to the 5th June letter, with only Sangma’s missing. The five signatories were Vice-President Rajiv Bareh, Honorary Secretary Rayonald Kharkamni, Honorary Joint Secretary A Mebanphira Swer, Honorary Treasurer Eddystone Shylla and Council Member Chuba R Marak.
Of the district associations, nine out of 12 affiliated associations signed their 3rd June letter. These were the Shillong Cricket Association, Eastern West Khasi Hills District Cricket Association, East Jaintia Hills District Cricket Association, Ri-Bhoi District Cricket Association, South West Khasi Hills District Cricket Association, West Jaintia Hills District Cricket Association, South Garo Hills District Cricket Association, West Khasi Hills District Cricket Association and North Garo Hills District Cricket Association.
The members of the new Apex Council was elected just before Christmas last year but it hasn’t been smooth sailing at all, with the MCA bouncing around from one crisis to another.
After a disputed election process, Sangma was elected by a narrow margin (according to sources, at least, as the official tally was not released). He has not shied away from dishing out public disapproval and has on more than one occasion criticised the previous Apex Council.
Then, last month, Sangma directly accused Kharkamni of trying to cover up the scandal surrounding alleged harassment of members of the state U-23 women’s team (the MCA was recently directed to take action against two support staff but no action was recommended against anyone else). The MCA President had also been at odds with Kharkamni over the functioning of the association’s bank accounts, which has led to them being frozen. For his part, the Honorary Secretary has largely maintained a studied silence, in contrast to Sangma’s greater willingness to speak out.
If those opposed to him had hoped that he would resign from the presidency now that he is set to become Meghalaya’s Rajya Sabha MP, Sangma put that hope to bed when he said on Monday that he was intent on carrying on as MCA President.
Both letters refer to how damaging the current administrative deadlock is to the players in terms of being able to prepare for the upcoming BCCI domestic season and to the sport more generally in the state. In the interest of the players the BCCI Honorary Secretary, to whom both missives were addressed, was asked that the national governing body take over the running of the MCA in order to restore stability, continuity and effective functioning.
