The Andhra Cricket Association (ACA), after deciding to support the beleaguered former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief N. Srinivasan’s candidature for his re-election, is all set to reap the benefits for its gesture.
After initial hesitation, the ACA took the decision to nominate Mr. Srinivasan for the second time for the top BCCI job along with all southern units, and a highly placed source said that the move was taken keeping in view the interests of the association in the long run.
The elections will be held in the 84th annual general body meeting to be held in Chennai on Sunday.
The ACA administrators took three demands to the notice of Srinivasan’s camp — Test status to ACA–VDCA YSR Reddy Stadium in Visakhapatnam, National junior selection committee chairmanship to former India stumper M.S.K. Prasad, and a match commemorating the diamond jubilee celebrations of the association — before offering its support.
“We have been pressing for the Test status to the Visakhapatnam stadium, which hosted four One Day Internationals and two IPL fixtures, since 2005. In 2007, International Cricket Council Commissioner Alan Hurst had inspected the stadium and suggested certain changes. We have carried out much to the satisfaction of the ICC,” said ACA vice-president G.J.J. Raju.
Extension of the umpires’ rooms, lockers and benches at players’ change rooms, and a complete manual scoreboard were some of the minor changes sought by the ICC.
The issue of granting the Test status came up in the working committee meeting of the BCCI in 2013 and assurances were made to the ACA to accord the elusive status. According to reliable sources, ACA secretary Gokaraju Ganga Raju, who was earlier tipped for the board’s treasurer post, was likely to be made chairman of the all-important Finance Committee.
Mr. Raju had held two crucial posts in the BCCI sub committees as member of Marketing Committee and Indian Premier League Governing Council.
“Along with Mr. Raju, some of the ACA administrators are likely to get postings in the board’s other sub committees,” sources said.
Former ACA secretary N. Venkata Rao was a prominent ACA administrator who served the board as vice-president for 10 years.
