Published: Aug 07, 2018, 10:46 AM (IST)
Edited: Aug 07, 2018, 10:46 AM (IST)
The selection committee of Mumbai has added seven new players – Shubham Ranjane, Shashank Singh, Ankit Soni, Alpesh Ramjani, Parikshit Valsingkar, Prasad Pawar and Aditya Dhumal – to the senior team’s off-season fitness camp at the Bandra-Kurla Complex. These players will join the 27 players who are currently training for the forthcoming domestic season.
Left-hander Ramjani helped steer his team Shivaji Park Lions into the final of the Mumbai Premier League with his knock of 64 off 34 balls against Sobo Supersonics in the eliminator. Ranjane had also been in good form on the local front as he collected around 2,000 runs in the circuit. Their exclusion had created a bit of turbulence in the Mumbai circuit.
The Parsee Gymkhana cricket secretary and vice-president Khodadad Yazdegardi had earlier alleged that the selection committee was not abreast with local cricket and its happenings and was making its decisions in an opaque way. He had met the Bombay High Court appointed Committee of Administrators asking for a Special General Meeting (SGM) to oust the selectors.
Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar, speaking to the TOI dismissed notions that the selection of these new players were done after these insinuations were pointed out. He indicated that the selections were made keeping in mind that the domestic schedule has the limited overs tournaments, particularly the Vijay Hazare Trophy slotted in the beginning of the season. “We’ve added new players to the camp because the domestic one-dayers are scheduled first this time, and we need players who can fit the bill. It was our plan from the beginning. We picked a squad according to the needs of the team,” he said.
The Mumbai selectors will meet on Tuesday to lay out a plan for the team’s preparations for the upcoming season. It is also learnt that Mumbai will play a warm-up tournament in Andhra Pradesh at the end of this month.
