Bangalore handed India-England match
The International Cricket Council announced on Monday that the
India-England World Cup match on February 27 has been switched from
Kolkata to Bangalore.
The high-profile game was taken away from Kolkata because of concerns
about unfinished renovation work at the historic Eden Gardens stadium.
The ICC said in a statement that Bangalore had been confirmed as the
venue. In a letter to the Indian board, the ICC outlined a schedule of
works that need to be carried out at Eden Gardens before the other
scheduled fixtures at the ground. The stadium is due to host South
Africa v Ireland on March 15, Ireland v the Netherlands on March 18 and
Zimbabwe v Kenya on March 20. An ICC inspection team will visit Eden
Gardens on February 7 to assess progress.
ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said: "This decision now clarifies
and gives us certainty over that fixture. "We can now work with our
various partners and stakeholders to make sure that the match - along
with the rest of the tournament - is all it should be." The ICC said it
chose Bangalore for the February 27 match after it was recommended by
the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The world governing body had earlier rejected a plea by the Cricket
Association of Bengal, which runs Eden Gardens, to reconsider its
decision to remove the India-England match.
The ICC was concerned about work in the renovated stands of Eden
Gardens, as well as corporate boxes, the media centre and the location
of the radio commentary boxes.
AFP |