Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath may take plunge into administration

Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath seem to be ready to take the plunge into cricket administration.

Indications are that the two of most accomplished cricketers in the country are contemplating contesting in the forthcoming election of the Karnataka State Cricket Association.

The elections are expected to be held some time during October-end or in the first week of November.

What posts they will contest is not yet clear but sources say Kumble may throw his hat in the ring for the post of secretary. Srinath may contest for the president’s post. It could also be the other way round. Both are believed to have the blessings of some top officials of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Srikanta Datta Narasimharaja Wadiyar of Mysore is the current president and Brijesh Patel, a former India cricketer himself, is the secretary. Vijay Mallya, the high-profile owner of the IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore, is a member of KSCA’s managing committee.

One of the two stalwarts confirmed the duo’s plan. “We’re seriously thinking about it but it is too early to say. We’re waiting for the announcement of the elections. We need a change in the KSCA administration. At this stage all I can say is that we’ll explore the possibility,” he told DNA. The other cricketer refused to comment, but he did not deny it.

Although new to the administration, both are eligible to stand in the election as the KSCA constitution allows an international or a player with reasonable Ranji experience to be an office-bearer. There are nearly 1500 votes.

It is not yet clear who their opponents will be. In the last election in 2007, Patel had combined with GR Viswanath, the highly respected former India captain, and took on the Wadiyar panel. While Patel retained his secretary’s post, Viswanath lost narrowly to the scion of Mysore’s royal family. The Wadiyar panel then won 13 posts as against 11 won by the Patel-Viswanath combo. It could not be confirmed if Viswanath and Wadiyar will contest again.

When asked, Patel, who famously overthrew the regime of C Nagaraj, a former BCCI secretary by leading a movement of players in the state in 1998, said he is open to negotiation with Kumble and Srinath. “They can take over. It is not an issue. I will be meeting them next week,” Patel said. Incidentally, Patel is also the CEO of Mallya’s Royal Challengers Bangalore of which Kumble is the captain.

cIt is not immediately clear what sort of differences Kumble-Srinath have with the KSCA management but the former India captain had once criticised the association’s decision to start a franchise-based Karnataka Premier League, the second edition of which is currently underway.