ISL 2017/18: CK Vineeth criticizes the decision to host an ODI in Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi
What's the story?
The decision of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to award an ODI between India and West Indies at Kochi has come under serious criticism. The reason for the backlash is that the date of the one day international, scheduled for November 1, is set to clash with season 5 of the Indian Super League.
Kochi's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium is also the home of the Kerala Blasters. CK Vineeth of the Blasters has taken to Twitter to express his displeasure with the decision and has explained at length to describe what went behind building a successful football stadium in Kochi.
In case you didn't know...
For the cricket match to be arranged, the pristine turf in Kochi will be teared up to relay a cricket pitch which will make the stadium capable of arranging events for both the sports.
This was the scene for the first two editions of the ISL but the situation changed when Kochi won rights to host the FIFA U-17 World Cup games which ultimately led the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium to undergo renovation.
The heart of the matter
CK Vineeth has questioned the decision behind awarding a cricket match to Kochi when there is already a cricket stadium in the state at Trivandrum. He has called this move as a wrong one and stressed on the fact that one sport should not stop others from growing.
The striker also shared an image of the stadium from two years back when the work of relaying the pitch was underway.
What next?
Kochi being one of the only six stadiums in India to have a FIFA approval, it remains to be seen what happens next in this important issue.
Author's take
Along with Vineeth, Blasters' Iain Hume also raised similar opinions on social media. The football team from the city is understandably concerned with the decision of the Kerala Football Association (KFA) who have put the best interests of the sport on the back seat for some easy money.