Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) authorities have come under heavy criticism for allotting Kochi Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium for a One-Day International (ODI) between India and West Indies that is scheduled in November.

India’s cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar has requested to the authorities at the KCA to reschedule the venues of India-West Indies ODI to Thiruvananthapuram from Kochi Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and leave the football pitch unharmed.

“Worried about the potential damage to the FIFA approved World Class Football turf in Kochi. Urge the KCA to take the right decision where cricket (Thiruvananthapuram) and Football (Kochi) can happily co-exist”, Tendulkar tweeted, adding: “Urged Shri. Vinod Rai who has promised to look into the matter. Hoping that neither the cricket nor the football fans are disappointed. @BCCI @KCAcricket”.

Worried about the potential damage to the FIFA approved World class Football turf in Kochi. Urge the KCA to take the right decision where cricket (Thiruvananthapuram) and Football (Kochi) can happily coexist. pic.twitter.com/rs5eZmhFDP

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) March 20, 2018

Urged Shri. Vinod Rai who has promised to look into the matter. Hoping that neither the cricket nor the football fans are disappointed. @BCCI @KCAcricket

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) March 20, 2018

Iain Hume, Kerala Blasters franchise’s forward player had also took to photo-sharing application Instagram and wrote, “So having read that there’s a possibility of a ODI Cricket Match planning to be played in JLN Stadium in Kochi, I have to say this….I was here for the 1st season of @indiansuperleague when they had 6-8 weeks to transform our field from a Cricket ground to a Football ground. They made great strides in doing so, but it was still some way off being an established field for top level football. The amount of time and money that has been spent since then, to get the pitch to the standard it is now for the U-17 @fifaworldcup and @indiansuperleague 4, it would be a travesty to tear it up for a one off cricket match! I understand the love of cricket in not just Kerala, but all of India, and I don’t want to disrespect anyone for that. But there’s a ground in Trivandrum that is Cricket specific, so why for the sake of one match, rip up a pitch that has taken years to get to the standard as one of the best in the country? Question….. Would they tear up Eden Gardens to stage a one off football match?”

So having read that there’s a possibility of a ODI Cricket Match planning to be played in JLN Stadium in Kochi, I have to say this…. I was here for the 1st season of @indiansuperleague when they had 6-8 weeks to transform our field from a Cricket ground to a Football ground. They made great strides in doing so, but it was still some way off being an established field for top level football. The amount of time and money that has been spent since then, to get the pitch to the standard it is now for the U-17 @fifaworldcup and @indiansuperleague 4, it would be a travesty to tear it up for a one off cricket match! I understand the love of cricket in not just Kerala, but all of India, and I don’t want to disrespect anyone for that. But there’s a ground in Trivandrum that is Cricket specific, so why for the sake of one match, rip up a pitch that has taken years to get to the standard as one of the best in the country? Question….. Would they tear up Eden Gardens to stage a one off football match? #SaveKochiTurf ⚽🇮🇳🐘🌴💛

A post shared by Iain Hume (@humey_7) on Mar 19, 2018 at 4:25am PDT

Chekiyot Kizhakkeveettill Vineeth, who is also commonly known as CK Vineeth and plays for Kerala Blasters, criticised the move.

“Over the course of this week, I have read various reports that the turf at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium will be dug up to help facilitate the ODI cricket match between India and West Indies. For many different reasons, I feel this is wrong. In an interview I gave to a friend a few years ago, I spoke of how in my childhood, I played football on a ground where there were three or four cricket matches happening at the same time. I would dribble past a defender, and then maybe a batsman before going towards goal. I believe that for sport to co-exist, it is important that they do not stop each other from growing,” Vineeth wrote on a social media platform.

“As a nation, we are fighting for success and to become better on so many fronts. A lot of time, effort and money has gone into the football pitch at the JN Stadium. This picture was clicked two years ago, at a time when over a hundred workers came in for days on end. I have never met any of them, and could never thank them for what they continue to do, but I must implore the authorities that their work is not thrown away. The stadium in Kochi is one of only six in India that are approved by FIFA, a certification that will take immense effort and countless permissions to obtain again. When India has always been known for being a ‘cricket crazy’ nation, is it really necessary to dig up a football pitch to play a cricket match? #SaveKochiTurf?,” he added.

Over the course of this week, I have read various reports that the turf at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium will be dug up to help facilitate the ODI cricket match between India and West Indies. For many different reasons, I feel this is wrong. In an interview I gave to a friend a few years ago, I spoke of how in my childhood, I played football on a ground where there were three or four cricket matches happening at the same time. I would dribble past a defender, and then maybe a batsman before going towards goal. I believe that for sport to co-exist, it is important that they do not stop each other from growing. As a nation, we are fighting for success and to become better on so many fronts. A lot of time, effort and money has gone into the football pitch at the JN Stadium. This picture was clicked two years ago, at a time when over a hundred workers came in for days on end. I have never met any of them, and could never thank them for what they continue to do, but I must implore the authorities that their work is not thrown away. The stadium in Kochi is one of only six in India that are approved by FIFA, a certification that will take immense effort and countless permissions to obtain again. When India has always been known for being a ‘cricket crazy’ nation, is it really necessary to dig up a football pitch to play a cricket match? #SaveKochiTurf

A post shared by Vineeth C K (@vineethck) on Mar 19, 2018 at 7:09am PDT

India football star Sunil Chhetri also took to micro-blogging site Twitter to voice his opinion and wrote, “We football fans in India have small joys and reasons to be happy about. A proper football pitch is one of them. Let’s not snatch that away, even if it’s for a little while.#SaveKochiTurf.”

We football fans in India have small joys and reasons to be happy about. A proper football pitch is one of them. Let’s not snatch that away, even if it’s for a little while.#SaveKochiTurf

— Sunil Chhetri (@chetrisunil11) March 20, 2018

.I am with u on this sachin@sachin_rt..@bcci ..please look into this @RJohri …KCA has super cricket grounds .. https://t.co/w4mcic2qTq

— Sourav Ganguly (@SGanguly99) March 20, 2018

Thanks for the outpouring of support for my firm opposition to KCA’s shifting the WI ODI to Kochi. Turf laid for top-class football would have to be dug up, while a cricket-ready SportsHub stadium in Trivandrum, the best in India, lies idle. Who gains from this suspect decision?

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) March 20, 2018

“ .I am with u on this sachin@sachin_rt..@bcci ..please look into this @RJohri …KCA has super cricket grounds .. https://twitter.com/sachin_rt/status/976104450640220160 …,” wrote former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly.

“Thanks for the outpouring of support for my firm opposition to KCA’s shifting the WI ODI to Kochi. Turf laid for top-class football would have to be dug up, while a cricket-ready SportsHub stadium in Trivandrum, the best in India, lies idle. Who gains from this suspect decision?” Congress MP Shashi Tharoor wrote.