Venkatesh Prasad eager to bring cricket back to Chinnaswamy as he announced his candidature for the KSCA elections.
If elected in the next elections, former India seamer Venkatesh Prasad has pledged to improve governance and transparency at the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) and to repair the reputation of the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
At a Bengaluru event on Wednesday, Prasad, the former vice president of the KSCA from 2013 to 2016, declared his intention to run for the board elections. Vinay Mruthyunjaya, a former KSCA officer bearer and member of the BCCI’s financial committee, and Shantha Rangaswamy, the former captain of the Indian women’s team, are on his team.
“We would like to bring back international cricket,” Prasad said. “It’s such an iconic venue, Chinnaswamy Stadium, which has been standing for the last 50 years. This [permission to host matches] is something which has never happened. Even our own Maharaja Cup has also been moved out which is not a good thing.”
Prasad’s possible return to administration coincides with the KSCA’s current predicament. Since June, the association has been operating without a secretary and treasurer, who resigned on the grounds of moral responsibility following the stampede that killed 11 people during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s victory party at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Due to repeated refusals of police clearance for subsequent events, the KSCA was forced to move the Maharaja T20 Trophy to Mysore. Right now, it appears more and more likely that Bengaluru won’t have the necessary permits to host games during the forthcoming Women’s World Cup.
If elected, Prasad and his team’s top goal will be to resolve the safety issues that caused the stampede. Due to significant construction issues, a one-member committee created by the state government declared the stadium “unfit and unsafe” to hold major games with sizable crowds.
Prasad also described KSCA’s ambitious ambitions to increase the seating capacity of Chinnaswamy Stadium while taking into account all engineering difficulties. “We must address that. Because, as I mentioned before, this was constructed in 1974. We can’t take it to 80,000, I’m positive. It is currently between 34,000 and 35,000, and there will likely be another 15,000 or even 50,000.
In order to highlight the history of Indian and Karnataka cricket, Prasad also revealed plans to create a museum inspired by the Lord that will feature interactive displays and a virtual reality experience.