No match at Eden Gardens: ICC

The last hope for an ICC change of heart was dashed as the international cricket governing body on Sunday disposed of the plea of the West Bengal’s cricket administration for reconsidering Eden Gardens for the Feb 27 India-England match.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) will not hold the India-England match at Eden Gardens on Feb 27, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said after an ICC communique on Sunday to the Indian cricket board, ending all speculations and initiatives to get back the match in the iconic venue.

The match has been rescheduled in Bangalore.

“The ICC has conveyed to the BCCI that it will not be able to hold the India Vs England match of the ICC CWC 2011 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on 27 February 2011,” said BCCI honorary secretary and president elect N Srinivasan.

“The BCCI has recommended Bengaluru as the alternate venue,” he said.

ICC president Sharad Pawar said the decision of ICC was not to play a single match in Kolkata, but he had requested the body to consider it.

He said at least the other three matches of World Cup (not featuring India) can be held and Kolkatans can enjoy them if the Bengal cricket administration completes the arrangements.

A blame game immediately started after the news spread with the detractors of Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Jagmohan Dalmiya holding him responsible for the fiasco.

“This was expected. The world has changed, but things have not changed here. The unprofessional attitude led to the fiasco,” said former cricketer Sambaran Banerjee.

Samar Pal, a cricket administrator of Bengal from the anti-Jagmohan Dalmiya camp, said it was most frustrating.

The Kolkatans were angry and demoralised.

“I am mourning. It is a shame for Bengal. It can be a conspiracy but then the cricket administrators here are no less responsible,” said cricket fan Shymal Das.

Hours before the ICC shocker came, Dalmiya said he was still hopeful of a change of heart in the ICC to return Eden Gardens the Feb 27 India-England World Cup match, taken away for “sluggish” stadium preparations.

“I am still hopeful. But I cannot say anything about the ultimate outcome,” said Dalmiya at a press conference.

West Bengal PWD Minister Kshiti Goswami earlier in the day said his department can get everything ready by Feb 5 and also can try to meet the pointers of ICC if they were told.

“Things have change now. Today, value is different,” Dalmiya said, exercising caution on what he remarks about ICC or their decision, but a firm no was the final answer.

“Today we are blamed. But are we really to be blamed,” Dalmiya asked.

To a question on where Kolkata was discriminated even in allotting matches at the first place, he said the fixture of the Cup and match allotment are issues different from the ongoing controversy.

Minister Kshiti Goswami said there is no city in the world with such a sports-friendly crowd like Kolkata though the city might not be commercially as viable as some other Indian metros.

“Spectators are our asset though Kolkata is still not considered a very commercial city,” he said.

Earlier, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had offered to talk to ICC president and his cabinet colleague Sharad Pawar on the possibility of providing the cricket authorities in Kolkata a second chance to prepare Eden Gardens for the World Cup match.

West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee also spoke to Pawar on the issue.

The India-England clash was to be the only match featuring the co-hosts in Kolkata and the other scheduled clashes mostly feature minnows.

South Africa-Ireland (March 15), Netherlands-Ireland (March 18) and Zimbabwe-Kenya (March 20) are the other games scheduled at the venue.