Indian Cricketers Association president Ashok Malhotra blames BCCI for not fulfilling demands

A lot was expected when for the first time Indian cricket had their very own players’ association – one of the prerequisites of the Lodha reforms that had to be implemented by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The Indian Cricketers’ Association (ICA) was constituted last year with former Bengal cricketer Ashok Malhotra elected as its first-ever president.

However, 10 months down the line, with former India captain Sourav Ganguly at the helm of BCCI, Ashok Malhotra said that none of the demands made by the ICA have been fulfilled.

Some of the demands made by the ICA include 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.

“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,” Ashok Malhotra was quoted as saying by PTI.

Ashok Malhotra requested BCCI to look into the ICA's demands

Ashok Malhotra, who turned out in 7 Tests and 20 ODIs for India, has been accused of making public statements and not consulting with ICA internally before taking matters to BCCI for discussion.

“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,” Ashok Malhotra added.

In his latest video sent to ICA members, Ashok Malhotra landed in hot water again by saying that he was not concerned about domestic cricket and the current administrative mess in Bihar cricket.

“I had simply said that my concern and focus is on ICA and welfare of former cricketers. It is natural as I am the ICA president. What have we done in the last 10 months? Nothing, apart from raising money for former cricketers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic,” the 63-year-old ICA president said.

BCCI has already granted Rs 2 crore to the ICA earlier this year to begin its operations. However, it is expected to sustain itself in the long-run.

“Whenever I make a point, it is objected to more often than not. At the end of the day, we are all there to take care of former players,” Ashok Malhotra said about the internal wranglings of the ICA.