KUALA LUMPUR – Despite numerous world class achievements under their belt, the Malaysian Cricket Association (MCA) appears to not have received their due recognition from the national sporting authorities.
Currently, MCA is ranked third in the world outside the Test nation countries for the International Cricket Council (ICC) scorecard.
The scorecard serves as a benchmark not just for on-pitch performance but for the association’s overall competency off the cricket field.
The national body’s management skills shone with their ability to host approximately 420 cricket matches per year before the pandemic.
Speaking to The Vibes, MCA president Mohammed Iqbal Ali Kassim Ali said the association has been able to successfully host such a large number of matches due to its high operation standards.
“We managed all those matches without a single cancellation or delay − this is incredible compared to many other cricket grounds,” he said.
The national men’s cricket team is currently 33rd in the T20I rankings while the women’s team is seeded 32nd.
With over 2.5 billion people tuning in to watch broadcasts, cricket is the second most-watched sport in the world and a large portion of the fans reside in India.
Last year, MCA signed a two-year partnership with FanCode − India’s premier digital sports destination for fans.
The platform acquired the exclusive rights – the first time such rights were awarded − to live-stream Malaysia’s cricket matches to over 15 million subscribers throughout India.
On the domestic grassroots level, Iqbal said MCA has collaborated with the Education Ministry’s Sports, Co-curriculum and Arts Division to launch the Cricket Adiwira programme, which kicked off in July 2019.
“The programme aims to introduce and stimulate interest among primary school students and teachers to engage in cricket at the grassroots stage.
Eventually, the goal is to assist in producing future cricket players, who will be able to play for Malaysia at the highest level,” he added.
A total of 170 schools completed the entry-level programme with a total of 5201 students and 3000 teachers attending the course.
In an effort to bolster gender equality in cricket, MCA awarded contracts to 15 players from the women’s national team for a period of one year.
“This is tantamount to the national men’s team,” said Iqbal.
“To ensure fairness in the national team selection process, MCA established an independent selection committee, which prohibits the executive board from interfering in the selection of players.
“The selection committee comprises former team captains and players, who pick talents based on merit.
“All the players’ data is stored in a central database, which removes the possibility of foul play during the selection process,” he said.
Iqbal added that despite receiving recognition from international governing bodies and commendations for the development of cricket domestically, the sport is still relegated to the sidelines in Malaysia.
According to Iqbal, since they only receive RM5,000 annually from the government, the association had to seek out other ways to stay afloat and sustain themselves financially.
Following these ongoing financial hardships, MCA was embroiled in a recent court battle with landowner Perumahan Kinrara Berhad for failing to settle arrears from unpaid assessment fees stemming from a long-standing dispute on tariff rates.
This has led to the subsequent eviction of the national sporting body from their current home in Kinrara Oval.
“Malaysian cricket, who now do not have a permanent home and are currently forced to operate in a nomadic fashion, will have to look for new cricket grounds each time our leasing agreement comes to an end,” stressed Igbal.
“Other sports in the country − with little to no accomplishments − have the luxury of receiving substantial financial assistance from the government but not cricket.
“All we want is a permanent home that can help us focus on bringing Malaysian cricket to a different level,” Iqbal said. – The Vibes, April 10, 2022
