Kumble throws his support behind Venkatesh Prasad for KSCA, says that ‘Venky is here to make a difference’.
‘Venky is here to make a difference’ – Kumble backs Prasad for KSCA post.
In the upcoming Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) elections scheduled for November 30, former India seamer Venkatesh Prasad has pledged to restore elite cricket to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath, two prominent figures in India, have strongly endorsed Prasad’s partnership with former India and Karnataka opener Sujith Somasunder. Another former KSCA officer bearer, Vinay Mrutyunjaya, will run for secretary.
Prior to Kumble and Srinath’s tenure as president and secretary, Prasad and Somasunder were also members of the KSCA administration.
Somasunder, who is currently the head of education at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE), was a member of the managing committee, while Prasad was the vice president.
Former India Women captain Shantha Rangaswamy and V Kalpana are two more female cricket players who support Prasad. Kalpana is probably going to be on the committee in some way, but Rangaswamy is not allowed to run for office because of the age requirements.
Prasad will face KN Shanth Kumar, who is supported by senior KSCA administrator and former India batsman Brijesh Patel. Former Indian Golf Union board member Kumar served as India’s non-playing captain in the 2002 Asian Games golf competition.
“Karnataka cricket has been suffering and Venky is here to make a difference,” Kumble told reporters on Tuesday. “All the work we had put in during our three-year tenure [2010-2013] has been undone over the past many years. The most common question we get asked is ‘when are you returning?’
“Two key stakeholders have been neglected: cricketers and fans. Last week we won the Women’s World Cup, and it was a landmark occasion. But we [Karnataka] didn’t have a single representation. That needs to change.”