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Mankad's the man

Ashok Mankad replaces Balwinder Singh Sandhu as manager of the Mumbai Ranji Trophy team.

The Mumbai Cricket Association, which picked the former Test batsman for the job, made the announcement official in a terse one line press release..

Mankad pips former team-mates Lalchand Rajput and Chandrakant Pandit, both considered front-runners, for the post.

"It's a greater honour than being manager of the Indian national team," said Mankad -- a seemingly inexplicable statement, till you consider the outcome of his only stint as manager of the national side.

Easily the shortest managerial stint in Indian cricket history, Mankad's managership lasted all of ten days. It was he who took the side to Sharjah for the Wills International Trophy, 1991-'92. On October 25, 1991, Pakistan, powered by a hat-trick, and a career-best 7-37 analysis, whipped India and when the team returned, Mankad was out of a job.

"It's one of the wierdest experiences of my life," says Mankad, "because till date, I still don't know why I was stripped of the job."

Mankad, who during his playing days had led Mumbai to back to back Ranji Trophy wins in 1974-'75 and 1975-'76, said it was a great honour to come back as coach of the side he himself had played in. "Bombay nurtured me, it is a great opportunity for me to give something back to the side," the coach designate told Rediff.

Mankad was categorical that he had never lobbied for the job, though he added that he had spoken to both Sunil Gavaskar and Ajit Wadekar, his former team-mates, both of whom live in the same building that houses Mankad's own flat.

"I told them that if I were given the opportunity, I would be only too delighted to coach the side," Mankad said.

Both Wadekar and Gavaskar are part of the MCA's seven member committee specially appointed to select a new coach. The others on the committee are Sandeep Patil, Dilip Sardesai, Suru Nayak, Milind Rege and Subhash Bandiwedkar.

Mankad's appointment comes after his predecessor, Sandhu, was unexpectedly axed by the MCA. Sandhu, who is credited with the resurgence of Mumbai's cricketing standards, was unanimously voted out by the MCA managing committee.

"They (the managing committee) felt there was need for a change," said MCA joint secretary Ratnakar Shetty.

Obviously reluctant to field questions on the controversy, Mankad however said, "It is very sad that the tenure of a manager of the calibre of Sandhu had to come to an end in this fashion, he was a very sincere and devoted manager."

Asked if he had any idea why it had happened, Mankad skirted the issue, saying he assumed there must have been some misunderstanding between the manager and the association.

"For myself, I am looking forward to the new challenge, since I have done with my other responsibilities," Mankad said.