The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) has requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for a change of date for the Pakistan versus England World Cup game at Eden Gardens on November 12.
The match coincides with Kali Puja, raising concerns over security bandobast at the stadium and its adjoining areas. The police are learnt to have raised objections on this issue earlier this week.
According to sources, the CAB informed the BCCI about it on Friday night itself and has also approached chief minister Mamata Banerjee in order to ensure a smooth rescheduling.
“It appears the game will be held on November 11 instead of 12. The picture will be clearer in the next few days,” a CAB official said on Saturday, after an 18-member team from the International Cricket Council (ICC), BCCI and the broadcasters conducted a recce of the Eden.
The revised fixtures of the ODI World Cup, beginning on October 5, are expected to be out next week. In the revised fixtures, the high-octane India-Pakistan clash in Ahmedabad is set to be brought forward, owing to Navratri, to October 14 instead of the scheduled October 15. The Pakistan-Sri Lanka game in Hyderabad — on October 12 as per schedule — is set for October 10.
It remains to be seen if this Pakistan-England clash at the Eden gets a fresh date
as well.
“Since Pakistan will be playing, the police are more conscious or rather worried over the security-related aspect. Now, the Kali Puja/Diwali feel will be there from November 11 to 13. So, this too needs to be taken into account,” a CAB insider pointed out.
“It won’t bode well at all for the CAB if the game is rescheduled to another venue. No one wants to re-visit the experience of the 2011 World Cup (when the India-England marquee clash was shifted to Bangalore as Eden Gardens wasn’t deemed to be ready),” he said.
New scoreboard
The Eden is set to have another electronic scoreboard which will be set up at the ‘J’ block by the time the World Cup begins.
The ICC team has also suggested that the toilets and food courts be spruced up.
