Kumble, Srinath win KSCA elections

Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath have won the elections for president and secretary of the Karnataka State Cricket Association, and Venkatesh Prasad has claimed one of the three vice-president posts, potentially ushering in a new era in cricket administration in India. Their group, formed a few weeks ago, swept aside the challenge led by the incumbent president, Srikanta Datta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, the former maharaja of Mysore, winning 22 of the 24 seats up for grabs.

Also elected from their group, as the other two vice-presidents, were former India seamer Roger Binny and Bangalore-based industrialist Sadanand Mayya .

The elections were held through Sunday in the KSCA's clubhouse at Bangalore's Chinnaswamy Stadium. Counting began late in the evening and Kumble's win was known well before it was officially announced. He spoke to reporters and claimed victory and, while not formally announcing an agenda, said he would come up with a blueprint for the association over the next few days.

"Our idea is to make the KSCA a model association," he said. "The challenge is to ensure that we deliver. We'd like to include all the members' inputs."

"It's a victory that will change the perception of sportsmen entering sports administration," Binny - a World Cup winner in 1983 - told PTI. "Personally for me, this is one of the sweetest victories in an election." He said cricket would be a priority, with the main goal being "to improve the standard of cricket in Karnataka and develop a great infrastructure at the grassroots level."

Kumble, Srinath and Prasad have all held administrative posts with the BCCI and the ICC. Kumble was named the chairman of the National Cricket Academy in September, while Srinath has been an ICC match referee since 2006.

Prasad, currently the bowling coach with Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, has coached the India Under-19 team and the Karnataka Ranji team and was the bowling coach of the national side for two years. He has an administration management degree from the Asian Cricket Council, and is now on assignment with the ACC to help promote the game and develop talent in countries that do not have a cricket playing tradition.