T C Mathew, chairman, the National Cricket Academy (NCA), and president, the Kerala Cricket Academy, alleged that vested interests want to derail KCA’s Edakochi stadium. He refuted allegations that the stadium, if constructed, would violate environmental protocols and said that the KCA will go ahead with the plans for the stadium. “While the project was on the anvil, a local goon named ‘tipper’ demanded `22 lakhs in bribe from us, and threatened to disrupt the project if we do not fall in line. We were unwilling to pay the money and that is when all the troubles started,” alleged Mathew. The then Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh was ill-advised and partisan in regard to the stadium’s construction, alleged the president. “When Jairam Ramesh had visited the site, we had not submitted a single paper related to the project before the Ministry. How come he made his opinion on the project without seeing any files,” asked Mathew. On the controversy raised by football associations on the 30-year lease agreement proposed jointly by the KCA and GCDA for the Jawaharlal International Stadium, he said that the interests of both cricket and football lovers will be protected by the KCA. “The KCA had proposed a 30-year-long agreement because we wanted to conduct international test matches. In the agreement it is stated that the interests of football lovers will be protected. We won’t have too many international matches in the stadium and for domestic matches we are developing own stadiums in all the districts,” added Mathew. Mathew refuted reports suggesting that he will challenge BCCI’s verdict on Sreesanth. “We are bound by BCCI’s laws and cannot challenge its decisions. Sreesanth has requested a meeting with me. Let him come and discuss the issues. We all know that he has got only limited options,” said Mathew.