(From top)Dravid, Lara, Ponting

Calcutta: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is funding the about-to-be-installed floodlights at the Kinrara Oval, on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, which will host the September 12-24 tri-series.

Besides India, the tournament is to feature world champions Australia and the West Indies. Earlier, Singapore was to have been a co-host.

“It’s a fact that we’re meeting the expenses and the Malaysian Cricket Association (MCA) is going to have a permanent asset very soon,” former president Inderjit Singh Bindra told The Telegraph.

The bill for the floodlights, one understands, could be in the region of $ 4 million.

Bindra is back as a key player in the BCCI and has been pushing for fund-raisers at off-shore venues.

Speaking on Saturday, a day before the marketing sub-committee meeting to finalise the tri-series’ sponsorship, he added: “What remains to be done at our end is to be completed in a couple of days…”

Bindra indicated Australia and the West Indies will receive $ 1 million for every appearance versus India. Each team plays the other twice in the league stage.

Should we make the final, then either Australia or the West Indies are expected to take home $ 3 million for playing against us alone.

It’s a handsome amount.

While the tournament has been conceived by India and is being hosted by Malaysia, the “event management” is in the hands of Cricket Australia (CA). It includes media accreditations.

This three-way collaboration is quite unusual, though.

Bindra, by the way, confirmed that the wickets are to be prepared by CA-assigned curators.

Meanwhile, according to MCA secretary C. Sivanandan, the Kinrara Oval (which houses the national academy) is going to have temporary stands with a capacity of between 8,000-10,000.

“While the facility has hosted Asian Cricket Council (ACC) competitions, it’s not exactly a stadium. The seating, therefore, will be on temporary structures,” he pointed out.

The ACC is headquartered in the Malaysian capital.

Talking from Kuala Lumpur, Sivanandan added: “It won’t be uncomfortable for the paying public… Please be assured!”

Incidentally, the Kinrara Oval is “only two years old” and, so, wasn’t one of the venues (for cricket) during the 1998 Commonwealth Games.

With all seven ODIs being day-night affairs, the start is scheduled for 12.30 pm (IST).