For Srikanta Datta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, September 9 could be a watershed day. Aspiring to usher in a change in the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), Wadiyar will take on former Indian captain Gundappa Viswanath for the post of the president. His abilities as a cricket administrator are untested, but the former Member of Parliament told Deccan Herald that he firmly believed he and his team have what it takes to return Karnataka cricket to its glory days. Excerpts:

What is your motivation to get into the KSCA, to get into cricket administration?
The motivation has been there for quite some time now. Brijesh Patel himself came in 2000 and asked me to contest, after he had won the elections. Afterwards, he didn't follow it up. C Nagaraj also approached me a couple of times but unfortunately, he got expelled in a very unceremonious manner from the KSCA by Brijesh Patel in 2000. After that, I was waiting for an opportune moment to strike. Also, the fact that Vinay (Mruthyunjaya, a reputed Chartered Accountant) has been associated with me for the last four years. He’s in constant touch with many of the KSCA Life Members, and I needed someone to manage the whole backstage stuff. I can go and meet people, appeal to them personally, but the backroom management is very essential. To that extent, a lot of pressure was lifted off me.

I have not been very happy with the way this association has functioned. The KSCA is sitting on public money. Therefore, you owe some responsibility to the public in general and specifically to the members whom you are answerable to. You have to be very transparent. I intend to bring transparency in the functioning of the KSCA. I have no personal agenda in the KSCA whatsoever. Improving facilities for the general public, managing space for seating people, those are among my principal concerns.

Once I decided to contest, it was important to contact people and decide a methodology on how we want to approach the exercise. I wasn’t a professional cricketer because I didn’t aspire to use cricket as a means of livelihood, I had other things to do. But even during my playing days, being from the mofussil, we were always the underdogs. The Bangalore boys, they were always the blue-eyed boys. It was difficult for us to get into the team. I thought after a long, long time, the KSCA could be headed by someone from the mofussils. You will then know the problems players from the mofussil areas face better than someone sitting in Bangalore. I looked at the whole thing from the perspective of a mofussil player and team’s point of view.

Your priorities if you do emerge successful...
The membership of the KSCA cannot be elitist, the process of membership has to be reformed. There are people who have been life associates for 15-20 years, and they have not been given voting rights. We are running an institution here that is promoting sports, and promoting the most popular sport in the country. We have to be responsible, you can’t behave like it is your jaagir. The present set-up thinks it is its own jaagir, which is not right. Every single member has the same rights and privileges. There are 4000 associate members. If the by-laws permit, I will make all of them voting members.

We will give a subsidy to every cricket team. We have frozen the amount at Rs 25,000, but it can go up to the Rs 50 or 60,000 per team to equip themselves with the necessary kits.

We will run training camps at mofussil areas. Cricketers who have played at a representative level, if they are interested, we will employ them as coaches at the centres. Straightaway, we will be employing some 90-100 former players under the banner of the KSCA to help promote cricket to the maximum level in the mofussil areas.
We would like to have our managing committee meetings recorded. Any member can see the recording if he so desires, and even the public will have access to that. I believe in being accountable.

The Chinnaswamy stadium has a capacity of 50,000. One of my primary concerns will be to try to augment this seating capacity to much more. How I can achieve that is something I have to study by looking at the architectural plans of the KSCA. Overall, it’s time for a change and for absolute transparency. Also, I firmly believe the colours of the KSCA should be the colours of the State flag — red and yellow.

What has the response been in the last few weeks from the people you have interacted with?
From all the visits to various places and meeting people, the response has been tremendous. Individually, I am very confident of the fact that I will get through. I am also sure many of our team have an equal chance of getting through. You need the team so that we can bring in reforms. I like competition, it brings the best out of me. We will have to usher in reforms without any irresponsibility. We have a very nice blend of senior cricketers who have also been in the field of cricket administration and who have played for the State in their own time, and a fair sprinkling of youth as well. Age should not be a criterion as far as trying to manage the affairs of an institution is concerned. Kasturi Rangan (secretarial candidate) is mentally very sharp and alert. He may be 77 years old, but he is also physically very fit. No one can take away the fact that we have the kind of experience that perhaps even the present team does not have.

Your thoughts on the significance of having Vijay Mallya's support?
Vijay Mallya will be a representative of the Select CC. I have no qualms or problems working with anyone. I have certain principles on which I work, and anyone who works with me on those principles will be most welcome. I will never refuse any help or assistance given by anyone interested in promoting cricket.

Even from your opponents?
If and when we do get into power and they make a suggestion, we will surely be open to accepting them if they are valid and have substance. After all, I am a politician, basically. I always took the suggestions of everyone. You should not forget that politics makes for strange bedfellows.