Dubai: Kerala cricket fans, who lost out on their share of Indian Premier League (IPL) matches following the exit of Kochi Tuskers, can hope to get matches again in their state.
T.C. Mathew, the President of the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA), has been elected to the two plum posts in the Indian cricket board — new chairman of the prestigious National Cricket Academy (NCA) and has also a member of the IPL Governing Council.
Speaking to Gulf News from Chennai soon after being elected to the two coveted posts, Mathew said: “Becoming an IPL governing council member is a huge motivation to bring IPL back to Kochi and especially stage some of the matches in Kerala. I will be talking to the Kochi Corporation and Kerala government and also convince our chief minister to assist us in staging the IPL matches.”
Ever since Kerala’s Tuskers were disqualified from the IPL, Kerala fans who used to throng the stadium to watch IPL matches, had been disappointed. Mathew, who also takes over from Ranjib Biswal as the chairman of NCA, stated that his appointment to such a post is a reward for KCA’s hard work to promote the game.
“In a review conducted by the BCCI, they found that Kerala is among the best in cricket development. We have improved our infrastructure over the years and set up 27 academies all over the state. My selection to such a position is a reward to KCA for the good work they have done in the last three years.”
Kerala Cricket officials will also figure in BCCI’s five top cricket committees. The BCCI’s Annual General Meeting appointed S. Haridas, the vice-president KCA, as BCCI’s Senior Cricket Committee Member. T.N. Anantha Narayanan, the Honorary Secretary of KCA, will become the BCCI’s Junior Cricket Committee Member, BCCI. T R Balakrishnan, who is the KCA Treasurer, has been appointed as BCCI’s marketing committee member.
Jayesh George, Joint secretary of KCA, has been appointed as a member of the Anti-Corruption wing of the BCCI while former Kerala batsman and prolific scorer K. Jayaraman has been appointed as national junior selection committee member.
