The spinal surgery cost Pradeep Sangwan around Rs 22 lakh.
Delhi’s fast bowler – Pradeep Sangwan is facing trouble in getting reimbursement from Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) that he claimed for a spinal surgery –had undergone last June in London.
DDCA's administration, which currently operates under the supervision of High Court-appointed Justice Vikramjit Sen, told Sangwan that the state body will pay only half the cost of his surgery.
The 27-year-old said that the surgery cost him around Rs 22 lakh, but DDCA is unwilling to give reimbursement despite it is the responsibility of the state associations to take care of their players.
Sangwan told Times of India on Thursday, “They were not willing to pay a single penny. But when BCCI GM (game development) Ratnakar Shetty wrote to them, they agreed to give me half the amount. Now and I've been told that I am not entitled to get the rest of the amount.”
He further said that the senior players ‘Ishant Sharma and Gautam Gambhir also put in a word for’ him but the state body ignored it and currently Mr. Sen is not available, which makes him even restless. Sangwan signed off by saying, “Justice Sen is not available. His daughter Mrinalini looks after the operations in DDCA and it is only after Shetty's letter that she agreed to pay half the amount. Senior players like Ishant Sharma and Gautam Gambhir also put in a word for me. But that has been ignored. Even the cricket affairs committee pitched for me.”
Meanwhile, Justice Sen said, “If he thinks he is entitled; let him come to us with a good representation. We can't bend rules for him. If we feel he is entitled to get the entire amount, he will get it.”
On the other hand, a top BCCI official said that the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) has no written rule, regarding the matter, but said that the Board is trying to make DDCA understand the situation.
He said, “Generally, state associations take care of their players. BCCI reimburses the amount claimed through insurance. In Sangwan's case, the injury was not reported at the time he experienced discomfort and stiffness in his lower back, and the insurance company declined to pay any amount. The current DDCA administration is unwilling to budge despite BCCI trying to make them understand the situation.”
Sangwan, who is known for his energetic fast bowling, grabbed many eyeballs during the Indian Premier League (IPL) Auction 2018 when he was brought up by the Mumbai Indian (MI) for a whopping 1.5 Crores. He is currently preparing in the MI camp for the IPL 2018.