The Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) is to send a team to Maldives, to develop the sport in the archipelago nation.
According to Indian news outlets, BCCI general manager Saba Karim will visit Maldives this month, along with the Indian national cricket team coach Abhay Sharma.
“The government asked us to help Maldives cricket and we are happy to do that. The officials will go there and see how best we can contribute to the game’s growth in that country,” a BCCI official told the ‘Press Trust of India’.
The current Maldivian government is seeking India’s assistance in developing a cricket stadium in the country, in its work to popularize the game.
While Indian cricket stars traveled to Maldives to take part in a friendly match in February, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih attended an Indian Premier League (IPL) match in April. BCCI had invited the president to attend the match, at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.
Indian news outlets report that BCCI’s plan to send a team to Maldives was finalized after the president’s trip.
