Kotla assignment was my toughest: Mudgal

Ferozeshah Kotla hosted its last match of the season — the Gujarat Lions-Sunrisers Hyderabad contest — and bid farewell to Justice (Retd.) Mukul Mudgal after a job well done.

The former Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Courts, under instructions from the Delhi High Court, had been given the responsibility of supervising the matches at the Ferozeshah Kotla.

The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) had ruined its reputation with its factionalism, and Justice Mudgal oversaw the conduct of the matches, beginning with the India-South Africa Test last December followed by the ICC World Twenty20 and the Indian Premier League (IPL).

“This is my last match. I am not likely to be involved with cricket matches (at Kotla) again,” said Justice Mudgal told The Hindu .

He will submit his report to the High Court in July. The DDCA top brass is already nervous since Justice Mudgal is expected to give a scathing report.

“The proxy system needs a relook,” he said on the system of voting prevalent at the DDCA. “I dealt with some tough cases but this assignment was perhaps the toughest.

“I had been instructed by the High Court, and it was a learning curve for me. It was a difficult job. I learnt a lot about organising cricket matches, and the difficulty the organisers face,” said Justice Mudgal.

High point

He said the “profits” made during the Test was the high point of his Kotla assignment. “We gave away 8500 tickets to the school kids and yet made profit. To me, the school children cheering the Indian team (during the Test) was the most satisfying part of the job.”

Having set a precedent at Kotla, Justice Mudgal was delighted to know that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has recently announced that a minimum of 10 per cent seats will be given away free to school students and the specially challenged.

When asked why Salil Seth, part of his committee and currently media manager at the DDCA, was part of the presentation function in the SRH-KKR match here on Wednesday, he said, “because Salil Seth had worked very hard and deserved to be there.”

Justice Mudgal felt that the Lodha Committee recommendations would change the face of cricket administration in India.

“It is well intended and will do a world of good for the way cricket is conducted in India.”