On 9th May 2015, a charity cricket match was held at the Alliance Rugby Stadium, between the Celebrity Cricket Club (C3), from Kerela, India and the UK Blasters, London. The proceeds from this match went to endosulfan affected victims in Kerala.
Endosulfan is a widely-banned pesticide with hazardous effects on human genetic and endocrine systems. In the mid 1970s, Kerala villages used aerial spraying of endosulfan on plantations, which affected many of the residents. To this day, many of the locals are still suffering. It has had many hazardous effects, which includes sensory loss, delayed reproductive development, neurotoxicity, long-range contamination, endocrine disruption, bioaccumulation and autism.
A day prior to the match, the C3 members were invited to the prestigious house of cricket, Lord's Cricket Ground, where they were given a tour and had the opportunity to practise for their upcoming match. A press conference was also held at the Lord's where the members spoke to the press, explaining how important this match was and what cause they were playing for.
The Celebrity Cricket Club is a cricket team made up of celebrity members from Kerala. It is a registered charity organisation that plays exhibition matches for various charitable causes. C3 consists of popular film stars and singers from Kerala, such as Kunchacko Boban, Asif Ali and Vijay Yesudas, plus many more.
Actor, Kunchacko Boban is also the chairman of C3. At the press conference at the Lord's Cricket Ground, he expressed, “The charity part plays a very big role for C3 because this time we are doing it in a much more bigger way. Endosulfan is a pesticide which has affected almost three generations back in our hometown in Kerala. Almost 30 years ago, this pesticide was sprayed over a plantation... and even now, almost 10,000 victims are there still suffering. Apart from that, the family of the victims suffer in a much more bigger way. All the financial support that we can do is for the endosulfan victims and for their welfare; that's the main motto why C3 are going to help out the endosulfan victims back in Kerala.”
The one-day T20 match between C3 and UK Blasters at Alliance Stadium was conducted in association with the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Middlesex Cricket County and Club Cricket Conference, an organisation celebrating its 100th year of formation.
This friendly charity T20 match was organised by Vintage Event Management, based in London. Vintage Event took immense pride in exposing the South Indian talent of these entertainers to the UK audience, while also raising funds for a noble cause.
