Allegations of Mohali Cricket Stadium Failing to Meet ICC Criteria Emerge
The schedule for the upcoming ICC ODI World Cup 2023 in India has been announced by the ICC on Tuesday. The World Cup matches will be held at 12 venues across India. However, the Mohali Cricket Stadium in Punjab has not been included in this list, which has led to allegations from Punjab’s sports minister, Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, who claimed that political interference prevented Mohali from hosting World Cup matches. The BCCI has now responded to these allegations.
BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla addressed the news agency ANI and stated that Mohali Stadium did not receive any World Cup matches because it currently does not meet the ICC’s standards and the venue has not been finalized by the ICC. He emphasized that agreement on venues is crucial.
The Punjab sports minister had expressed his concerns, stating, “It is political interference to exclude Mohali from the list of host cities for the tournament. The Punjab government will raise this issue with the BCCI.”
It is clear that there is a disagreement between the Punjab government and the BCCI regarding the inclusion of Mohali Stadium as a venue for the World Cup. The reasons for Mohali’s exclusion seem to revolve around the stadium not meeting ICC criteria and the need for proper confirmation from the ICC. The matter is likely to be further discussed and resolved between the concerned parties.
Rajeev Shukla said, “It has been decided to select 12 venues for the upcoming World Cup. Unlike the previous World Cup, where fewer venues were selected, this time there will be warm-up matches held in Thiruvananthapuram and Guwahati, while the remaining venues will host league matches. More centers have been involved in the selection process. There are four venues from the South Zone, one from the Central Zone, two from the West Zone, and two from the North Zone.”
He also mentioned that a bilateral series will be given to Mohali. The Deputy Chairman of BCCI stated, “Last year, Mohali was allotted Virat Kohli’s 100th Test match. The Mullanpur Stadium in Mohali is being prepared. If it had been ready, World Cup matches could have been scheduled there. Currently, Mohali’s stadium doesn’t meet ICC’s standards, so matches are not being allocated there. However, this doesn’t mean they won’t get matches in the future.”
Rajeev Shukla further explained, “The bilateral series matches will be given to Mohali because it follows a rotational system and no ‘pick and choosing’ is involved. The venue needs to be approved by the ICC for finalizing the location. Thiruvananthapuram will host the first-ever warm-up match. It doesn’t mean that any center or zone has been neglected. The stadium selection has been done with great care. Matches are also being held in Guwahati in the Northeast zone.”
