CONTROVERSIES, ONCE again, are in full swing and dominant well in Kerala cricket by defeating players, officials, cricket buffs and even cricket too. Series of controversies were kicked off with the row between S Sreesanth and KCA officials. It was followed by environmentalists’ protest against Edakochi Stadium, uncertainty of Kochi Indian Premier League team and finally the storm reached its zenith due to Ind-Oz one-day international (ODI) match washout.
South Zone Convener post, representation in Junior Cricket Committee as well as in National Cricket Academy and 27 board matches plus eight 20-20 were the rare feats that KCA achieved in its glorious 60th year. It is for the first time, a Malayali gets a chance as the Convener for South Zone.
In a freewheeling chat TC Mathew, Secretary, Kerala Cricket Association, shares future prospects of Kerala cricket, programmes to discover talented players, S Sreesanth, new projects of KCA and more…
How cricket can play a role in the development of Kerala?
Blending cricket and tourism will work wonders. Cricket Tourism (CT) is the next ‘hot’ market in the tourism sector. CT would help a state like Kerala as it is blessed with backwaters and a lot of tourism spots and ayurveda treatment centres. In fact, Kerala is the perfect place to launch CT. But we have to market our tourism resources at the right time, at the right place and at the right price. For example, we should utilise the potential of inland water navigation. Meanwhile, CT will show the way for development by setting up more infrastructure facilities in and around the stadium. Considering these benefits, the state government and the district authorities should work pragmatically.
For Kerala Cricket, the icon is S Sreesanth now. Tinu Yohannan hardly got opportunities while talented Ananthapadmanabhan didn’t get even a single chance and Raiphi Vincent Gomez is waiting for a call to the national team? Why the KCA is unable to contribute quality players to the talent pool of the national team?
Lack of proper training and infrastructure facilities are the main reasons behind the less number of Kerala players in the national team. To solve this, the Kerala Cricket Association has launched Mission -2020, a master plan, to enhance the profile of the game in the state and to groom skilled players in the rural and the urban areas.
Cash Kerala and Cricket at School are the flagship projects in the Mission – 2020. The Cash Kerala (cricket academies and sports hostels) aims at nurturing young cricket talents between the age of 12 and 14. At present, around 300 students are utilising this benefit. This project was launched on June 1, 2009.
As part of this mission, the KCA has started two cricket academies in Kochi and Trivandrum and two sports hostels at Mannanam and Mutholi. Besides, the KCA will start five more state cricket academies (North, South and Central) and academies in all the districts this year.
The trainees in these academies are getting all the facilities like professional coaches, trainers, psychologist, gymnasium, food and accommodation. K Jayaram, former Ranji trophy player and match referee, is the in-charge of the selection procedures.
The driving concept behind ‘Cricket at School’ is to start cricket at school level so that the youngsters get more exposure to the game at an early age. The KCA will support at least five schools every year in terms of building the infrastructure and the development of players in the schools. To increase women’s participation one out of the every five schools which the KCA funds will be meant for girls.
Other initiatives?
As part of player development programme, Kerala Cricket Association has chalked out a programme where Kerala players (Under-19 and Under-16 teams) are sent to Sri Lanka to play competitive cricket against Sri Lankan teams. This is a reciprocal arrangement, where teams from Sri Lanka will also visit India and play matches here. This twinning agreement gives an exposure to our players and helps them to grow as a professional.
On young sensation S Sreesanth?
Sreesanth has the quality to excel as a bowler. We should appreciate Sreesanth for his endeavours to cement his place in the Indian team. His passion to cricket must be appreciated. Really, he is an asset for Kerala cricket.
As South Zone Convener?
It is an honour for Kerala cricket and KCA. It is for the first time that Kerala gets convenership. And I am elated that Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) gives due recognition to Kerala cricket.
(Mathew will be in charge of all the matches, fixtures, posting of officials, and other cricketing activities in South Zone. He will also oversee all the cricketing activities in South Zone and convene all the selection meetings. Besides, Mathew has also been nominated as a member of Junior Cricket Committee and National Cricket Academy. Adv TR Balakrishnan, President, KCA, has been appointed as a member of Junior Cricket Development Committee.)
What is your opinion on controversies about Edakochi Cricket Stadium?
An international stadium to play matches as per ICC and BCCI norms has always been a dream for any association. Kerala Cricket Association then zeroed in on a beautiful piece of land at Edakochi in Ernakulam with a water frontage. The association has planned to construct a state-of-the-art international stadium with all modern amenities, which include swimming pools, gymnasiums, indoor training facilities for practicing cricket, other indoor games like badminton and squash and all facilities that make up an international standard sport and recreational centre, that would be a dream come true for Kochites and a source of pride for Keralites. Project directors, chief engineering consultant and honorary secretary, KCA had visited some of the finest stadiums in India and then shortlisted award winning architects M/s Hopkins and associates, UK to be architects of the stadium. They had also built the Pune and Chennai stadiums in India. The government of Kerala had given the nod for the stadium, but other vested interests are hell-bent on creating problems in the path of KCA. But we at KCA are confident that we would be able to surmount the problem and go ahead with the prestigious project.
How do you assess the support from media?
The KCA is thankful to all the media (regional as well as national) for their tremendous support so far. However, sometimes they create unwanted controversies. I kindly request them to publish or telecast positive news for the better growth of our state.
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