BCCI to honour Goel, Shivalkar

Cricket : Shantha Rangaswamy to get Lifetime Achievement Award

Yesteryear spin aces Rajinder Goel and Padmakar Shivalkar have been nominated for the Col CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award that will be presented after the fifth MAK Pataudi Memorial Lecture to be held here on March 8.

Haryana’s Goel, who holds the record for most wickets in Ranji Trophy with a staggering 637 wickets and a total of 750 in first class cricket, was unfortunate never to get the India call-up.

It was no different for Shivalkar who played 124 first class games for Mumbai bagging 589 scalps.

Both left-arm spinners were active during Bishan Singh Bedi’s time, which made it almost impossible for another similar spinner to be a part of the team.

Shivalkar, though, got a chance to be in the Indian team in 1975-76 when Bedi was suspended by the BCCI for criticising the Board in an interview but the closest he got was being named 12th man.

"The (C K Nayudu awards) committee consisting of N Ram, Ramachandra Guha and Diana Edulji believed that BCCI needs to recognise the services rendered by Goel and Shivalkar who were not fortunate enough to play for India," the BCCI said in a statement.

For the first time, there will be an award to recognise the contribution of women cricketers. Former India women’s team skipper Shantha Rangaswamy will be conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award for women. Rangaswamy led the country in 12 Tests and 16 ODIs.

"It's a good feeling that women cricketers are finally getting their due. Those days were tough but we were still able to to lay a solid foundation for the future," Rangaswamy said, reacting to the news.

"Ever since the BCCI took women’s cricket under its fold, things have significantly improved but there is still a lot that needs to be done," she added. V V Kumar and the late Ramakant Desai have been nominated to receive a special award for their services to Indian cricket.

Former India wicket-keeper Farookh Engineer will deliver the Pataudi lecture, following which the BCCI Annual Awards will be presented.