Seafront flats for 7 cricket stars

Kochi, Oct 1 (UNI) Even as the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) is working on 'Vision 2010' to give a fillip to cricket in the state to produce more talents like Sreeshant, it has roped in as sponsor the SRK Group by which seven Indian cricketers have landed another bonanza today.

Announcing SRK's one-year sponsorship for the Kerala Ranji Team and gifting of seven flats to Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, S Sreeshant, M S Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh and Irfan Pathan KCA Secreray T C Mathew told newspersons here, SRK Chairman Malik signed a one-year contract with the Association.

The announcement of the sponsorship comes in the wake of some quality cricket witnessed by the country in the recent Twenty20 World Cup by Team India.

''We are seeing it as a move in the right direction at the right time,'' he added.

''Sponsorship from SRK will provide support to state cricket to groom more players of international calibre in the wake of the emergence of Sreeshant,'' Mr Mathew also observed.

He also pointed out the KCA had come into the scheme of things in the BCCI vis a vis development of the game only after the the emergence of Sreesant. Before, the KCA was getting little attention from the Cricket Board.

Later in the evening, at a function at the Taj Malabar where the Indian and Australian teams have been put up for the second ODI, the seven Indian stars were formally gifted the flats.

The sea front flats are in the Groups premier township 'Sky Wings' in the Smart City at Kakanad.

UNI