A common pavilion for two of the three grounds at the Karnataka State Cricket Association’s facility in Alur, on the outskirts of Bangalore, was inaugurated by KM Ramprasad, the former KSCA president, on Tuesday (October 29).
Anil Kumble, the current KSCA president, and Javagal Srinath, the secretary, were present on the occasion in which a host of luminaries from Karnataka cricket, including Syed Kirmani, BS Chandrasekhar, Erapalli Prasanna and Vijay Bharadwaj, were also invited.
The grounds, named Three Ovals – “London has just The Oval, but we have three,” said Kumble – are located a short drive away from Bangalore. The land – 30 acres – was purchased during Ramprasad’s tenure in 2000 and, following a massive transformation, now boasts of two lush-green playing fields and third one close to completion. Apart from that, a practice area with an incredible 22 pitches and nets has also been prepared.
“When we bought this land, it was steep and was full of stones,” remembered Ramprasad. “Now it’s a dream I’ll never forget. Srinath, Kumble and their team have done a great job. We bought the site, but they’ve built a beautiful house on it. But this is just the beginning, it has to be looked after.”
“We have the facility here to play three first-class matches at the same time,” pointed out Kumble. “There’s also a wonderful practice area. I’ve had the fortune of travelling with the Indian team for close to 18 years and as an international cricketer, I haven’t come across any practice facility which has 22 nets of this stature.”
The pavilion, called the KSCA Platinum Jubilee Pavilion, was meant for the Golden Oval and the Silver Oval – the two secondary fields. The designs for the main pavilion for the Platinum Oval – the primary venue – are ready and construction was expected to start soon. An indoor cricket facility has also been included in the plan.
“The building and the indoor facility here will be done by the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) on behalf of the KSCA,” said Kumble. “This is something which we’ve proposed. In terms of the funds, I’m pretty sure the BCCI will be able to fund. That’s the proposal we’ve placed to them, but the entire facility will be available for Karnataka.”
Under the supervision of the incumbent KSCA administration – headed by Kumble – top-drawer first-class cricket has been taken to smaller cricketing centres across the state like Mysore, Shimoga and Hubli, where India A played West Indies A in September and October. Facilities have also been developed in places like Mangalore, Chikmagalur, Raichur and Belgaum.
Despite all that, Kumble and Srinath revealed earlier this month that they wouldn’t seek re-election to the KSCA, saying that they were happy to have worked for a single, three-year term. The decision had clearly disappointed Ramprasad, who remarked, “I don’t know why you stopped at this level, you should have continued.”
Srinath, however, hoped their successors would continue the good work. “Our development largely depends on what kind of infrastructure we give to all the zones under KSCA,” he said. “Today, I think this committee can stand tall, while appreciating the efforts of Mr Ramprasad and previous committees. We’ve made sure everything has now fallen in place for the kids to play in an international-class facility. This is what we want future committees to take forward.”
source: http://www.wisdenindia.com / Wisden India / Home> News Flash / by Manoj Narayan, Bangalore / October 29th, 2013