Kamal Ghorui
Mumbai: The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) is not perturbed about not being allotted a Test match during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy early next year. On Thursday, the BCCI announced that Nagpur, Chennai, Guwahati, Ranchi, and Ahmedabad will host the high-profile five-Test series between India and Australia in January-February next year. The MCA will instead host the third ODI between India and Zimbabwe on January 9.“All day, everyone has been calling me about not getting a Test match. Truth be told, we are very happy with whatever the BCCI gives us. We will do a great job of hosting Zimbabwe for an ODI,” MCA president Ajinkya Naik said at a felicitation function organised by Khar Gymkhana to honour the MCA’s achievement of winning the BCCI’s ‘Best Association’ award for three successive years.Later, speaking to reporters at the event on Thursday, Naik reiterated that the MCA had taken the BCCI’s decision in good spirit. “All matches are important, whether it is a Ranji Trophy game, an international fixture, the IPL, or a club match. All matches are the same for us,” he said.When asked if he was disappointed with the distribution of matches in Mumbai, Naik said, “We are happy that cricket is happening in Mumbai, and we will continue to work for the betterment of the game. Whatever our parent association gives us, we ensure that we follow it. We strictly implement all the SOPs.”Asked whether the Wankhede Stadium was not allotted an India-Australia Test due to hosting as many as eight matches during the 2026 T20 World Cup, Naik said, “Whatever the BCCI instructs us, we make sure that we implement it.”When asked whether marquee Test series like India-Australia or India-England should be restricted to four or five major centres, similar to England and Australia, Naik said, “I can only speak on behalf of the MCA. Any decision we take is done through our Apex Council. If it concerns the BCCI, you will have to ask the BCCI. I cannot comment on that.”
