Kochi ODI angers Football fans across India

[Jithin91]

Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, home to the Kerala Blasters FC, will be dug up to create a cricket pitch, angering players and fans alike.

The Indian team will be hosting West Indies later this year across all the formats. While one of the games in the five-match ODI series has been allotted to Kerala, the move by Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) to try and host the game at Jawaharlal Nehru International (JNI) stadium in Kochi, overlooking Thiruvananthapuram has received much flak.

The JNI Stadium has been the home ground of Kerala Blasters in the Indian Super League for the last four seasons and was one of the major venues during the 2017 U-17 World Cup & is One of the Six FIFA recognized stadiums in India.

#SaveKochiTurf, a hashtag used by the stars, has sparked off a debate over the issue on Twitter and other social media platforms.

Kerala's push to host West Indies ODI at Kerala Blasters stadium angers football fans

 

[Saj 007]

For cricket, Thiruvananthapuram Greenfield stadium is far better than Kochi JN stadium with good pitch & very good drainage system. KCA should conduct cricket matches in Greenfield stadium & give JN stadium for football IMO.

 

[Vishnu777]

For cricket, Thiruvananthapuram Greenfield stadium is far better than Kochi JN stadium with good pitch & very good drainage system. KCA should conduct cricket matches in Greenfield stadium & give JN stadium for football IMO.

Yes bro...Green field stadium is better for cricket games and JN Stadium should be kept for ISL...

Two venues for two different games .

 

[Shantanu Upadhyay]

For cricket, Thiruvananthapuram Greenfield stadium is far better than Kochi JN stadium with good pitch & very good drainage system. KCA should conduct cricket matches in Greenfield stadium & give JN stadium for football IMO.

What is the average sitting capacity at this green field stadium & has any odi been conducted at this ground before.

 

[Jithin91]

What is the average sitting capacity at this green field stadium & has any odi been conducted at this ground before.

Capacity: 50,000
The Greenfield Stadium became India's 50th international cricket venue on 7 November 2017 when it hosted a T20I against New Zealand

 

[HOUSE-MD]

This sounds like complete nonsense and a well chalked out plan to end the Football's growing interest post the ISL emergence. Looks like KCA seriously wanting to remove football from Kerala Soil at any cost and if executed then this will continue to other similar football grounds across other states till there are no large football fields left.

Whenever i watch ISL i really loved the large Kochi stadium (63,000) which accommodates over 50% higher audience count than Chennai's Stadium (40,000) and always wanted Chennai too to have a large one in near future to enable more fans to watch the match live in action.

 

[Jithin91]

KCA seriously wanting to remove football from Kerala Soil at any cost

That won't happen until the World ends..

And yes, the match was alloted to Greenfield Stadium by BCCI, but KCA want the match happen at Kochi.
Legally there are no issues for BCCI to conduct a match at Kochi.
JNI Stadium is under the control of The Greater Cochin Development Authority. JLN stadium has been leased out to KCA for a 30-year period in 2014. So KCA can do anything in the ground.
KCA says last match happened in Kochi was in 2014, and the last match allotted to Kerala happened in T'Puram. So this time the match can't be played there and they want it to happen in Kochi. That's the reason KCA is telling.
Legally nothing can be done.

Nd again there will be a clash between this match and ISL.
Next ISL season will start earlier, by September end or by Early October as there is an Asian Football Championship happening in UAE in January 2018

 

[Saj 007]

The problem is, they need to reconstruct this ground for cricket & again need to reconstruct it for ISL. In a short period between cricket match & ISL, it's not possible. So ISL match won't happen in JN stadium. Only some members in KCA playing the cheap game here...

 

[Shantanu Upadhyay]

Capacity: 50,000
The Greenfield Stadium became India's 50th international cricket venue on 7 November 2017 when it hosted a T20I against New Zealand

Wow that's must be good stadium, I think they should use this stadium for cricket & should leave JL nehru stadium for karela's
Passion football, karela loves there football seriously which is good.

 

[Saj 007]

Wow that's must be good stadium, I think they should use this stadium for cricket & should leave JL nehru stadium for karela's
Passion football, karela loves there football seriously which is good.

You can watch the match between IND & NZ in YouTube to saw Greenfield stadium...