Kochi: Kerala Cricket Association, the subsidiary of the national body BCCI, is adamant on holding the India-West Indies Cricket match in Kochi on November 1 despite all opposition. The Kerala government remains a helpless spectator.

Fortunately it has got backing from the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) which owns the stadium. GCDA officials today said the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium could stage both cricket and football events. This was after holding talks with the officials of football team Kerala Blasters and KCA.

However, a final decision would be taken soon based on the advice of an expert committee, GCDA officials told reporters here. KCA said the cricket pitch could be laid without harming football turf.

Legendary cricketer and owner of Kerala Blasters Sachin Tendulkar and medium pacer S Sreesanth have opposed the event in Kochi. Sachin also sought the intervention of BCCI interim president Vinod Rai in the matter. The government was in favour of staging it in Thiruvananthapuram.