'It's a dream come true today': Mithun Manhas gets emotional as J&K reach Ranji Trophy final

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NEW DELHI: In 2021, when current BCCI president Mithun Manhas stepped in as one of the administrators of a crisis-hit Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA), the task before him was daunting. The association was grappling with mismanagement and allegations of corruption, and restoring order was the immediate priority. On Wednesday, as Jammu and Kashmir scripted history by entering their maiden Ranji Trophy final, Manhas allowed himself a moment of emotion.

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"It wasn't very easy at that time when I took over as the administrator. The then BCCI secretary Jay Shah gave me a free hand and told me that do whatever is needed to get Jammu and Kashmir cricket back on track," Manhas told PTI in an exclusive interaction after J&K's six-wicket win over two-time former champions Bengal in the Ranji semifinal in Kalyani. "I was watching the match on TV and beating a side like Bengal that had players like Mohammed Shami and Akash Deep is a huge achievement. The cricketer in me is emotional as I ended my first-class career and also worked with the state unit there." Reflecting on the journey, Manhas said talent was never the concern — what the team needed was the right structure. "I would give a lot of credit to Brigadier Anil Gupta, who has done a commendable job. When I took over, we conducted talent hunt competition," he said, referring to his colleague in the BCCI sub-committee that once oversaw J&K cricket administration. "You see left-arm seamer Sunil Kumar, who played a big role, is a product of that talent hunt. Having played nearly two decades in Delhi, I had an idea what is required to succeed at this level. We had a Cricket Committee that did a fine job, with honesty and transparency," said Manhas, the Delhi stalwart with 9,714 runs from 157 first-class matches. While infrastructure remains a challenge in the region, the focus was on preparing competitive playing conditions. "Both the Harbux Stadium in Srinagar and the College ground in Jammu have 10 centre strips each with both red and black soil pitches. We are the only north Indian state with both black and red soil strips," Manhas said. "When we played against Mumbai last year and beat them, the team had travelled and practised in Mumbai at least a week before the game," he recalled. The committee itself had been constituted under the directions of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court following administrative irregularities in the JKCA.Roping in Paras Dogra and Ajay Sharma Manhas believes one of his key contributions was persuading seasoned domestic performer Paras Dogra to represent the state as a professional at 41. Dogra now captains the side, with Manhas’ former Sonnet Club associate and Delhi senior Ajay Sharma, a former India player, serving as head coach. "I have played a lot of cricket with and against Paras. He is not just a terrific cricketer but a great professional. Paras played all his cricket in Himachal where conditions are pretty similar to J&K. "The next part was that for two decades, he regularly played club cricket in the UK during off season which is a great way of imbibing discipline and professionalism," he said. "We needed that stable, experienced batting head in the middle order who could shepherd us during tense moments and Paras, as you can see, was brilliant," Manhas added. He also said convincing Dogra and Sharma to join the project wasn’t difficult. "In case of Ajay bhai, we all know what kind of a cricketer he was at the first-class level and his knowledge of how to get success at the domestic level is immense. So when I approached both of them with my vision, it wasn't difficult to convince them to come and join the J&K ranks," the BCCI president said.Auqib Nabi knocking at national team door Another standout performer has been Auqib Nabi, popularly known as the ‘Baramulla Express’, who became the first cricketer from the state to claim 50 wickets. Manhas feels his performances have surely caught the selectors’ attention. "Obviously Nabi has been terrific for J&K and has done what is expected of him. He has been a match-winner and has won the big games for past two seasons. Now selection is something that I shouldn't be commenting on as the BCCI president. "Yes, as a cricketer, I can say he is knocking at the doors of national team. Now it is up to selection committee to see what kind of role he fits in," Manhas concluded.

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