The International Cricket Council has expressed its concern over the future of the Kinrara Oval near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia after it emerged that the venue faces the possibility of being closed down.
The ground has hosted a number of international events in recent years and the Malaysian Cricket Association has been given notice to vacate the venue to allow for it to be redeveloped. A campaign has been launched to save the venue.
ICC chief executive David Richardson said yesterday (Sunday): “Cricket in Malaysia is flourishing with the number of players in all age groups growing and the ICC welcomes the intervention of the Minister of Youth and Sport and we are hopeful a sustainable solution can be found. The ICC will continue to support Malaysia Cricket and hopes the Kinrara Oval will remain an international cricket venue.”
An MCA official has said today the organisation may be forced to leave the stadium, with the AFP news agency reporting that a property developer has given it until the end of the month to vacate the facility.
MCA secretary Mohammed Iqbal Ali Kassim Ali told AFP: “It will be a sad day if we lose the Kinrara Oval. It is a world-class, iconic pitch. We want the ground to remain the home of Malaysian cricket.”
He added: “We have been engaging with the developer for a long, long time. We had hoped it could be resolved behind closed doors.”
The 4,000-capacity Kinrara Oval opened in 2003 and has hosted senior one-day internationals, as well as youth fixtures.
Image: Pixabay
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