MCA felicitates Madhav Gothaskar and Sudhir Vaidya for Their 'outstanding contributions'

Sticking to its theme of honouring many people who contribute to the glorious game of cricket but stay behind the scenes, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Wankhede Stadium, the Mumbai Cricket Association this week felicitated this week felicitated two stalwarts of Mumbai and Indian cricket- former international umpire Madhav Gothoskar, who is 95-year-old now, and former BCCI statistician Sudhir Vaidya, 86, in recognition of their immense contributions spanning over five decades.
Born on October 30, 1929, at the famed Shivaji Park in Bombay (now Mumbai), Gothoskar officiated in 14 Test matches between 1973 and 1983, and stood in his only One Day International (ODI) in 1981. Over his career, he umpired in 58 first-class matches from 1967 to 1983.
Vaidya, born on August 15, 1938 in Mumbai, is a renowned cricket statistician. Since 1957, he has meticulously compiled cricket statistics, encompassing Test matches since 1876-77, One Day Internationals since 1970-71, and Indian domestic cricket since 1892. His extensive collection includes scorecards of nearly 8,000 matches, organized into approximately 150 files, registers, and bound books. In recognition of his dedication, the Limca Book of Records acknowledged his work in 2010.
MCA president Ajinkya Naik, secretary Abhay Hadap, joint secretary Deepak Patil, Executive Secretary CS Naik and apex council member Surendra Harmalkar personally visited the residences of Gothoskar and Vaidya in Pune to felicitate them for their dedication and service to the game.
Speaking about the rare meeting to honour Gothoskar, Hadap told Mumbai Mirror, “At the age of 95, obviously Gothoskar’s eyesight and hearing ability has become weak, but his memory is still sharp, and his voice is still typically ‘robust’. He remembered my name, and the fact that I used to help with the conduct of club elections, since he was an office-bearers of the Shivaji Park Gymkhana for a number of years. He praised Ajinkya Naik a lot and complimented him for doing some ‘really good work’ as the MCA president.”
Recalling the MCA apex Council’s interaction with Vaidya, Hadap said, “Vaidya has still kept scores and records of all the matches he was a scorer/statistician in since the 1971-72 season.”
Vaidya still has all the cricketing records on his fingertips, Hadap gushed. “When our jt secretary asked him what her still remembered about Bhausaheb Nimbalkar's fourth-first class highest score of 443 not out for Maharashtra against Kathiawar in a 1948–49 Ranji Trophy match against Kathiawar at the Poona Club Ground, Vaidya replied that he even remembered that Nimbalkar's innings was halted at 443 not out because the opposing team conceded the match, and didn't turn up at the ground later, fearing that Nimbalkar will break Don Bradman's 452 not out (in 1929/30) -then the world record for the highest individual innings in first-class cricket-against them,” the MCA secretary said.
Expressing gratitude for their relentless service to the game, MCA president Ajinkya Naik said, "Both Gothoskar and Vaidya have played a pivotal role in shaping Mumbai cricket. Their unwavering commitment to the sport has left a lasting legacy, and the MCA acknowledges their invaluable efforts in upholding the integrity and progress of the game. “Their contributions to Mumbai cricket are immeasurable. This felicitation is a token of appreciation for their years of dedication and hard work.”
"The MCA remains committed to recognizing and celebrating those who have devoted their lives to the growth and excellence of Mumbai cricket," he added.
“The president and the office-bearers of the MCA called on me today to felicitate me on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. They presented me with a memento, T-Shirt and a cap to commemorate the occasion of my honorary service as a cricket statistician to the MCA, Mumbai during the last half-century,” Vaidya said.