Jammu, Mar 02: Mithun Manhas is a familiar name not only in J&K cricket but also in the entire cricketing world, especially at the domestic circuit of Indian cricket.
He has scored around 10,000 runs in 157 matches of First Class Cricket with 27 centuries and 49 fifties and over 4000 runs in 130 matches of List A Cricket with 5 centuries and 26 half-centuries.
Averaging 45.84 in both the formats, Manhas has the honour of representing North Zone Duleep Trophy and Deodhar Trophy teams as captain more than once and making North Zone clinch Deodhar Trophy under his captaincy, besides having the distinction of being part of the North Zone victorious squads many a time.
One of the few unlucky cricketers who despite possessing immense talent and performing consistently well at the domestic circuit and India A levels, has failed to make it to Team India. Reason? One–his cricketing era was dominated by the iconic batting quartet of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman and second–may be, he was not having any Godfather to pat and promote him at the National scene.
Anyway, after his heroic cricketing career as a player, having the distinction of captaining the then strong Delhi for a long period, charismatic Manhas has done wonderfully well as an Administrator while running JKCA affairs in the capacity of Member Cricket Operations and Development among three Sub Committee Members including Brig Anil Gupta as the Member-Administration and Sunil Sethi, Member Legal Affairs JKCA.
While running JKCA affairs from the last three years, Manhas has changed the shape of Jammu and Kashmir Cricket in every aspect of the game.
After his nomination by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to run the affairs of Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) on the directions of J&K High Court, the things are changing thick and fast in Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) and no stone is being left unturned to prioritize professionlism, promote cricket culture, streamline the jaundiced system and deal with the players and officials on the basis of merit in otherwise fractured and unhealthy Association.
As the Head of Cricket Operations and Development, Manhas has constituted a much-awaited Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), the constitution of which was unquestionably an extraordinary step in the history of JKCA. What was more appreciable was the fact that the CAC is the amalgam of former J&K cricketers of great repute.
It is observed that commercialism is getting the back seat and professionalism is gaining momentum in the scheme of things of Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association as the appointment of the Support Staff is being done only after calling interviews.
Earlier, there was a trend, a practice, a custom or you may call it a system that JKCA used to nominate selectors and the Support Staff which simply involved favouritism and even nepotism.
Moreover, since the inception of JKCA, it has produced just twelve BCCI Level-1 Coaches and Umpires before Manhas took over as the Head of Cricket Operations and Development JKCA. Now, under his dynamic attitude and energetic approach, JKCA can boast of having around forty Level-1 Coaches and Umpires of its own in the State/UT, not to talk of a big number of Strengthening and Conditioning Coaches.
Now, talking about the infrastructural facilities, the JKCA Hostel ground has turned up into a wonderful cricket facility as it possesses around five quality practice wickets with almost all the facilities, five pitches in the centre and a quality outfield, besides dressing rooms, quality dugouts, boundary rope, sight screens and other allied facilities.
Moreover, the establishment of Cricket Academies, one each at JKCA Headquarter Srinagar and Jammu, development of Cricket Stadium at Hiranagar and making SK Stadium JKCA’s own custody, is in the pipeline.
As Head of the Cricket Operations and Development, Manhas has succeeded in holding long duration Coaching, Skill and Fitness Camps for the players of all age groups (men & women), besides providing high quality and sufficient cricket uniforms and gear to the players and uniforms to the support staff.
Mithun Manhas, in the last three seasons, can boast of producing around forty men and women cricketers, who represented Zonal teams, Challenger Trophy teams and various IPL teams, besides an exception of Umran Malik making it to Team India.
Moreover, Manhas deserves appreciation for helping good number of officials from J&K to represent North Zone squad in one or the other capacity.
Though, the performance of various JKCA teams is not as it should have been, yet the process is on and the time is ripe to see all the JKCA men and the women teams blossom at the National scene.
