MCA Elections: Vijay Patil on dethroning Sharad Pawar and getting Shiv Sena support

Vijay Patil, the owner of the DY Patil stadium in Navi Mumbai, and an Mumbai Cricket Association vice-president for the last four years, has decided the time is right to take on NCP chief Sharad Pawar for the post of president. Aside from a two-year gap from 2011 to 2013, Pawar has ruled the MCA with an iron grip since 2001. Patil, who heads the Cricket First Group, claims to have the support of the Shiv Sena and is bullish about his chances. The group also includes a number of ex-India cricketers, including Pravin Amre, Abey Kurivilla and Lalchand Rajput. In a phone interview with Firstpost, Patil explains why he chose to challenge Pawar, his plans for Mumbai Cricket and why political support is part and parcel of MCA elections. Edited excerpts below: [caption id=“attachment_2295912” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  MCA presidential candidate Vijay Patil (center) with Lalchand Rajput (left) and Pravin Amre (right). PTI[/caption] What prompted you to stand for president this time? Why not stand for vice-president again? I have spent four years as vice-president of the MCA. I have observed the working of the organization at very close hand. I was interacting with a lot of members and I felt there was a overwhelming mood that things needed to change, a new set of ideas, fresh thinking needed to come into the governance of the organization. And while I have only contested the elections for the last four years, I have been involved in the game since 1989, when I first constructed my first cricket ground in Navi Mumbai. Our team has the necessary credentials. We have come up with a road map that shows the new vision as to how this cricket association needs to be elevated to even higher levels. And being a cricket lover and being passionate about the game, it is natural that I would wish to play a more proactive role in the association. What is it that matters to the members of MCA? Members feel the governance, the administration, needs change. I know that is a very clichéd term [laughs]. Whenever an election comes, people say we want a change. But members want change that all of us can believe in. That is what we are going to deliver. The set of individuals we have and in the past my contribution to the game (might I add very modestly), we feel we can deliver on many fronts – in terms of infrastructure development, in terms of administration, in terms of governance. So there was a feeling that we need a fresh set of thinking. This current establishment, the various office bearers, they have been in that position for the last 10 to 15 years. There is a need that other individuals who have the necessary competency to be allowed to express themselves and that environment needs to be created. That is extremely important. So there is a sense the Mumbai cricket has been drifting the last few years? We have a glorious tradition so I am not going to say that everything is broken. But the kind of potential that we have in terms of elevating the association to higher level is enormous. Mumbai is the heart of Indian cricket so it is important that we really set the benchmark for other state associations. There is a lot that can be done. What are the priorities for you and your group? One of the fundamental issues is maidan infrastructure. That is where thousands of players player. You can have great stadia, which we do have, but what’s important is where thousands of players play. Right from Azad Maidan to Shivaji Park to the far flung suburbs – Vasai, Virar, Navi Mumbai, Thane. The basics are not here in terms of toilets, in terms of tents in terms of chairs. We need to spend the maximum amount of resources that we get in terms of grants. That is extremely important. Second, the functioning of the High Performance Cricket Academy with differenet satellite centers. That is a key goal. We have seen the models of various football clubs, like FC Barcelona, Real Madrid. You find they have a lot of these feeder academies. And those attract a lot of talent at the grass root academy and then the best available talent is then channelized into the higher performance academy. So the plan would be to set up these centers all across Mumbai, where talent will be spotted. And then identifying the ones that are exceptional and channelizing them to the high performance academy. In the high performance academy it is important we employ the best available coaching talent from all over the world. Won’t finding that many coaches be another challenge? We are very fortunate because we have so many test cricketers that have been part of Mumbai Cricket and we need to use their services in a more proactive way. We need to get them involved. Ultimately, they are the best judge of talent. It is not a job to be done by office bearers or individuals in the managing committee. Important to employ the proper professionals for that particular job. I think that is the key. Another thing which I feel is important is the setting up of a museum. It is something which will be done on a grand scale. The present generation has little understanding of our tradition. They can’t identify our past greats and don’t know what they achieved. I think we can create a unique museum which will become like a tourist hot spot for everybody coming to Mumbai. It will have videos, various memorabilia – like how you have sports museums anywhere in the world. It will be on that scale. One fundamental thing that really needs to be understood is transparency and efficiency in administration. And respect for the constitution. Because if you don’t follow the constitution, that gives rise to its own set of problems. I think its fundamental. These are things that we like to focus on. Transparency is something all sports bodies in India struggle with … Yeah, but I think you must have the right values and the right ethics. Whole commerce today runs the game, it is important to keep a balance between your commercial needs and the true values and ethics of the game. That balance at all times has to be maintained. There can be no compromise on that. You have to get the right people in and do everything transparently. That’s what it comes down to. Do you think this is something the members want? Generally in India there is idea that we can give and take no matter what the rules are. Yes, but I don’t think it is a healthy sign for any organization when the constitution is not followed. It sets a bad precedence for the future. In the last election, Cricket First got four seats. This time you have the support of the Shiv Sena. Have we reached a stage where political backing is necessary to win an election in the MCA? Let’s look at the reality. Politics has been a part of the MCA for a long time. This is not the first time and neither is it going to be the last time. In the last couple of elections, the panel that we are up against, have had political candidates from different political parties. And the Shiv Sena have a lot of members who are part of the cricket association and they are quite enthusiastic about the game. Shri Udhavji is a very passionate cricket fan and he is very proud of Mumbai cricket. It has been a matter of great anguish for him also what is happening to Mumbai cricket. And when we met him for his support and showed him the road map we have for Mumbai cricket, he was very forthcoming. And at the end of the day, an election has to be won. It is important to take into account all the stakeholders who are prominent members of the association. And we are very happy that they have extended their support to Cricket First. How confident are you of winning the election? We are very confident because we have put up a good team. We have extensively met members. There is an overwhelming mood that change needs to happen and I truly believe it is going to be a conscience vote and if that happens, I am sure Cricket First is going to be successful. What are your plans for the scheduling for the Kanga League? We would revert back to the old structure. Whatever improvements need to be done, we will do them. We have taken into account all the concerns of everyone who organizes these tournaments and then we will work to see how we can restore it to its original glory. What happened in the last couple of years – it was just thrown out and the views of all the members were not taken into account. That comes from improper planning, essentially. There were lot of issues. I heard so many complaints. Some teams would not play for six months. They would finish their season in January. Kanga League was the flagship and it defined Mumbai cricket in many ways. It was the start of the cricket season. It had its own challenges – playing on wet wickets – and it was something everyone looked forward to. It was such a tradition. To just do something drastic is not something that is a sign of good administration and planning. Recently in a speech, you asked Mr. Pawar to step aside. What was your objective in making such a statement? I have a lot of respect for Mr. Pawar. He has achieved so much on the national stage in diff spheres of life. Been BCCI president, ICC president, Chief minister. He has also been the defense minister. I think the time comes when the next generation needs to play an active role in sports administration. That is my basic point. There are a lot of individuals like me. Not only about me. Also about other individuals. That is a feeling that a lot of people share in the association. The Mumbai Cricket Association elections will be held on Wednesday, 17 July.