MUMBAI: Cricket is set to be well and truly back at Azad Maidan, the nursery of Mumbai and Indian cricket. After a long, nine-year wait, eight clubs at the maidan will get back their renovated pitches on Sunday. Their plots were taken by MMRDA for construction of Metro 3 in 2017.Sixteen out of the 22 clubs there were affected by the project, including prominent ones like Parsee Cyclists, Baronet, John Bright, Bohra Cricketers and Navroz. While the maidan catered to 22 games at a time, once the project began, the capacity got reduced to nearly half. The clubs to get pitches back are RBI, St Xavier’s, Young Friends Union, Young Muslim, Muslim United, Kila Court, Bohra Cricket Club and John Bright.The renovation of the eight pitches to be returned to clubs at Azad Maidan on Sunday was carried out by Mumbai Cricket Association’s (MCA) veteran curator, apex council member and also maidan co-ordinator Nadim Memon and Pramod Yadav. To mark the occasion, the MCA will hold a small function, termed the ‘Ground Equipment Handover function and inauguration of Redeveloped Pitches at Azad Maidan’ at Young Muslim Plot at the Azad Maidan at 8.45 am on Sunday. The function will be attended by the association’s president Ajinkya Naik, secretaries Unmesh Khanvilkar and Nilesh Bhosle and the entire MCA apex council.
Breeding ground
Azad Maidan is effectively the breeding ground of Mumbai cricket. Many significant tournaments, like the Harris and Giles Shield (inter-school), the Kanga League, and the Times Shield, are held on this ground. From the iconic Sachin Tendulkar to the likes of Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Prithvi Shaw and Sarfaraz Khan, many of Mumbai’s top batters have honed their skills at the Azad Maidan.Some of the clubs getting back their pitches on Sunday are over 100 years old.“We have always believed in strengthening grassroots cricket, as it is the foundation of Mumbai cricket. Our focus is to provide better facilities and support maidan clubs to nurture the next generation of cricketers,” Ajinkya Naik told TOI.Memon said, “Cricket is back at the Azad Maidan! It’s a proud and emotional moment for all the Mumbaikars and cricket-lovers. The eight MCA-affiliated clubs at the Azad Maidan once again have their cricket pitches back in playing condition after 9 long years of Metro rail work. It is truly a dream come true for Mumbai cricket. After the completion of Metro works, the challenge of restoring and developing the cricket pitches and outfield was enormous. The ground was completely covered with debris and construction material, making the task extremely difficult. Through the hard work, dedication and continuous efforts of the MCA maidan committee, ground staff and all those involved, the pitches and outfield have been brought back to a standard where cricket can once again be played.”
