'Fifa approved' turf for cricket! Opposition mounts against hosting game

Opposition is mounting over the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA)'s plans to host the India-West Indies ODI in November at Kochi, with former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor stating that the association's move was 'suspect'. The Jawaharlal Stadium in Kochi is one of six venues in India that are approved by FIFA, as highlighted by Indian footballer CK Vineeth.

The plan has received backlash from the football community as well as from politicians such as Shashi Tharoor. Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar has also expressed his concerns on Twitter. He has urged Committee Of Administrators Chief Shri Vinod Rai,  who has promised to look into the matter, as mentioned on one of his tweets.

 

Worried about the potential damage to the FIFA approved World class Football turf in Kochi. Urge the KCA to take the right decision where cricket (Thiruvananthapuram) and Football (Kochi) can happily coexist. pic.twitter.com/rs5eZmhFDP

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) March 20, 2018

Tharoor, Thiruvananthapuram MP, said he has already spoken to Vinod Rai against the KCA's "bizarre" decision to transfer an ODI match from Thiruvananthapuram to Kochi, whose ground was last used for the U-17 Football WorldCup.

"He has promised to review the matter. KCA's motive is highly suspect", Tharoor had tweeted.

In another tweet, the local MP thanked everyone for the outpouring of support for his firm opposition to KCA's shifting the ODI to Kochi.

 

Thanks for the outpouring of support for my firm opposition to KCA's shifting the WI ODI to Kochi. 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?

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) March 20, 2018

"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 asked in the tweet.

Indian Captain also expressed his displeasure on a tweet. 

We football fans in India have small joys and reasons to be happy about. A proper football pitch is one of them. Let's not snatch that away, even if it's for a little while.#SaveKochiTurf

— Sunil Chhetri (@chetrisunil11) March 20, 2018

Kerala Blasters team member Iain Hume expressed his dismay over the move saying it was upsetting.

"I understand there is lot of cricket in India. But I also understand that there is lot of football in Kerala".

 

So having read that there’s a possibility of a ODI Cricket Match planning to be played in JLN… https://t.co/mRrTASQ0d8

— Iain Hume (@Humey_7) March 19, 2018

Another Blasters key player C K Vineeth said the Jawaharlal Stadium in Kochi is one of six in India that are approved by FIFA, a certification that will take immense effort to obtain again.

When India has been known for being a 'cricket crazy' nation, is it really necessary to dig up a football pitch to play a cricket match? #SaveKochiTurf, he tweeted.

 

The JN Stadium is one of only six in India that are FIFA approved,a certification that will take immense effort to obtain again. When India has been known for being a 'cricket crazy' nation, is it really necessary to dig up a football pitch to play a cricket match? #SaveKochiTurf

— CK Vineeth (@ckvineeth) March 19, 2018

Veteran footballers I M Vijayan and C V Pappachan have also come out against the move.