Following the publication of the 2023 World Cup schedule, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has been scrutinised. While the tournament will be hosted in ten cities, the governing body was criticised for not designating matches to a number of well-known Indian venues. However, BCCI vice president Rajeev Shukla explained why venues like Mohali were omitted from the impending World Cup.
Following the announcement of the World Cup schedule, the sports minister of Punjab, Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, criticised the BCCI for omitting Mohali as a venue, calling it a political decision. The president of the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association, Abhilash Khandekar, also expressed his disappointment after the Holkar Stadium in Indore was denied a World Cup match.
Rajeev Shukla clarified the decision to exclude Mohali as a prospective venue following the criticism.
He stated that the stadium did not satisfy the ICC’s minimum requirements, resulting in its exclusion. However, Shukla disclosed that bilateral matches will be assigned to the venue because the board does not wish to deprive any centre of international matches.
“The current stadium in Mohali did not meet ICC requirements and was therefore denied matches.” However, that would not prevent them from receiving contests. They will receive bilateral series encounters based on a rotational system. No ‘select and choose’ has occurred. The ICC’s approval is crucial for finalising the venues.
First-ever warm-up matches have been played in Trivandrum. Not a single centre or zone has been neglected. Even in the North East Zone, contests were awarded to Guwahati after much deliberation regarding stadiums. The schedule has been adjusted significantly,” Rajeev Shukla was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
Ahmedabad will host the World Cup 2023 final.
Later this year, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Dharamsala, Hyderabad, Lucknow, and Pune will host the global event. Meanwhile, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad will host some of the most exciting matches, including the knockout stage and the championship match.
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