Mohan (Mike) Kendall
On April 5th, there was a simultaneous change of guards at both Cricket Canada and the Ontario Cricket Association. At the end of my term as OCA president, Gulwant Bajwa has been elected as President and I understand Vimal Hardat has replaced Ravin Moorthy as the President of Cricket Canada. My sincere congratulations and best wishes to both in their respective roles.
Depending upon the directions the two organizations take under the new leaders, it could be an opportunity to bring about sensible change in status quo of the state of Cricket in this country. Or it could be business as usual with the result that the Canadian Cricket will continue to suffer and slide on the current slippery slope.

Ravin Moorthy missed the incredible opportunity to show some credible leadership by not following the paths and policies laid out by his predecessors, with respect to the perhaps illegal and undoubtedly un-constitutional and immoral expulsion of the OCA from CC. I have made several attempts directly and as recently as a couple of weeks ago through this forum, asking him to take a high road as President of the National body, in resolving the major issue plaguing cricket in this country. An urgent need to call a National conference of all stake holders of Cricket was also emphasized. However as previously, he chose to ignore it all. He could have left his lasting mark on the history of Canadian Cricket by correcting a wrong and would have been a hero to a lot of people. Instead his legacy now, looking at the state of Cricket in Canada where we are reduced to a ‘nonentity’ in the Cricket World landscape, would be less than stellar. He may be entitled to some sympathy from the fans and critics. However, the loss of ODI status and subsequent demotion of Canada from Associate standing under his watch, will be hard to swallow for anyone, no matter how you ‘candy coat’ it.
Frankly, I am not sure what to expect from Vimal Hardat and his new executive at this point as he and his Ist VP were part and parcel of the votes to take OCA out of the CC. I had met him before that fateful day during a visit to BC, was a guest at his house and found him to be courteous, accommodating, respectful and a gracious host. Having said so, Cricket in BC has had and is currently having serious problems of its own, as per a recent phone call from a senior leader there.
Looking at his elected CC executive, whether by accident or by design, Ontario has hardly any serious representation there. Even Calvin Clarke, who has served the game invaluably for decades as secretary, should have been persuaded to stay rather than let go. This is the fruit that the seeds of dirty politics in Canadian Cricket has born and I am sure there is more to come. And if this does not open a few eyes in Ontario then nothing ever will.
I can understand Vimal Hardat wanting to consolidate power. However to do it at the expense of the badly needed ‘experienced team’ could prove to be even more catastrophic, if there is such a thing possible. To manage a club or a league is one thing but raising the level of a National team to International level, is a totally different ‘cattle of fish’. Even if he wanted to ignore the pool of talent from the OCA, in the Nation’s interest, he could have mined Howard Petrook, Mohammed Sheikh and many others with international cricket management experience. I am also hoping that for obvious reasons at some point, Ontario will be accorded the place in CC executive that it truly deserves.
In the same breath I am also hoping that Vimal Hardat will rise above politics and find a way to undo the wrong and bring OCA back to CC. At least then he can truly lay claim to the statement that “I left no stone unturned for the benefit of Cricket in Canada”
Everyone professes to have the best interests of Canadian Cricket in mind. However it is your actions that really define you and your true intentions…
The way I see it anyways..
May God bless us all…
Mohan (Mike) Kendall