THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Cricket Association’s decision to shift the venue of the fifth one-day international match between India and West Indies in November from Thiruvananthapuram to Kochi’s Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium has found opposition from various quarters.
Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor who responded to the issue first and took it up with the Committee of Administrators (CoA) chief Vinod Rai thanked people for the support he received on the issue. “Turf laid for top-class football would have to be dug up, while a cricket-ready SportsHub stadium in Trivandrum, the best in India, lies idle.
Who gains from this suspect decision?” he tweeted. Minister for Co-operation, Tourism and Devaswom Kadakampally Surendran said he demanded the Kerala Cricket Association to conduct the match at The Sports Hub here. The minister in charge of the district said the stadium here was one of the best in the country and his preference was not based on a parochial view.
“There is no doubt that Sports Hub is most suited for one-day matches. Despite heavy rain the stadium hosted the last international match efficiently and it was appreciated by everyone,” he said. Sports Minister AC Moideen spoke to officers of KCA and GCDA. He categorically told them the government would not allow the turf at Kaloor stadium to be dug up for the cricket match. He said the matches should be held without dispute.
Attingal MP A Sampath said KCA’s decision to dig up a stadium was strange when there was already a world-class stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. He demanded the intervention of the Chief Minister and the Sports Minister in the issue.