MCA secretary Abhay Hadap opens up on Prithvi Shaw`s request to leave Mumbai

Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) secretary Abhay Hadap confirmed to mid-day on Monday that he had granted opening batter Prithvi Shaw a No Objection Certificate [NOC] to shift to another domestic team for the upcoming season.

“The MCA would like to inform that cricketer Prithvi Shaw had formally requested a NOC to represent another state as a professional player in the upcoming domestic season. After due consideration, the MCA has granted the NOC,” Hadap said via a statement.

However, on a personal note, Hadap told mid-day that he is sad to see Prithvi go. “I feel sad to see a player like Prithvi leaving Mumbai. I have been observing him since his childhood. I’ve seen him playing his first MCA selection tournament — U-14 Ajit Naik Trophy — and had even clicked photographs with him. At that time he was not ‘the’ Prithvi Shaw. He is my favourite player. Now, some other state cricket associations will benefit from his expertise,” Hadap said.

Abhay Hadap 

Earlier in the day, Shaw had written to MCA, saying, “It has been an honour and privilege to be part of the MCA setup, and I am deeply grateful for the exposure and experience I have gained here. At this juncture in my career, I have been presented with a promising opportunity to play professional cricket under another State Association, which I believe will further contribute to my growth and development as a cricketer.”

Shaw, who has played five Tests and six ODIs for India, was dropped from the Mumbai Ranji side last year on grounds of poor fitness and lack of discipline. Having missed the rest of the Ranji Trophy season, he last played for Mumbai in the final of the premier domestic tournament Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy against Madhya Pradesh, which his side won by five wickets.

Meanwhile, MCA are yet to take a decision on Test opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who had requested them for a NOC in April to play for Goa before deciding against it a month later. When asked about Jaiswal’s request, Hadap said: “We will take a decision on him [Jaiswal] during our [Apex Council] meeting on June 30. We will welcome him.” 

With inputs from PTI 

This article first appeared on Mid Day