Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) headed by Union Minister Sharad Pawar has appealed to the Maharashtra Government to help it organise matches without hindrance on holidays at open grounds like Azad, Oval and Cross Maidans and Shivaji Park in south and central Mumbai.
MCA Joint Secretaries Nitin Dalal and P V Shetty, in a letter to Home Minister R R Patil, have sought police help on holidays to conduct the matches.
They have contended that an unwritten understanding, that players and teams - other than those taking part in their tournaments - should vacate the grounds when MCA matches begin is being flouted of late by what they term as "tennis ball cricketers".
The two officials complained to Patil that the amateur players often brandished knives, stumps and swords to threaten the MCA-accredited players and umpires and stop them from playing the matches during the time allotted for them.
The unwritten understanding between the two parties was that local tennis ball cricketers could play between 7 am and 9.30 am at these grounds and then from the time the MCA matches end for the day till dusk, but this agreement is being violated now, they said.
"Our Joint Honorary Secretaries have repeatedly lodged complaints with the local police stations, but police do not take action and refuse to protect our secretaries, players and umpires from physical assault by these unsocial elements," the two MCA officials have stated.
"Day by day it is becoming difficult to play matches under the auspices of MCA. You (Patil) are requested to provide security at maidans on holidays between 0930 am and 0445 pm to enable Mumbai Cricket Association to play matches smoothly," they said.
Copies of the letter have been sent to Pawar and Mumbai Police Commissioner, among others.
