Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah has confirmed that since “several Full Member countries” have complained about the fixture of the tournament, the International Cricket Cup (ICC) 2023 ODI World Cup schedule, will be changed.
These developments come only a month after the BCCI and the ICC finally announced the much-awaited schedule for the tournament scheduled to be held in India from October 5 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Indian media reported Saturday that the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) has requested the ICC recce team to change the schedule for the match between Pakistan and England — on November 12 — since the game would coincide with Kali Puja.
Kali Puja is the second biggest festival in West Bengal and a large police contingent will be stationed across the city to maintain law and order situation. This would make it impossible for the government to deploy security personnel for Eden Gardens’ duty.
While CAB President Snehasish Ganguly de-nied sending the request, Kolkata Police has raised a security issue, Indian media reported, citing senior CAB officials.
A senior CAB office-bearer reportedly said: “Kolkata Police has cited concerns to provide security for the match slated on Diwali.
“We have informed the ICC and BCCI to re-schedule it and if it does not happen we would inform this to the the chief minister.” This official was part of the meeting with the 17-member ICC and BCCI inspection team.
The CAB chief, however, remained tightlipped on the matter, awaiting an official confirmation before taking it forward to the ICC.
Snehasish, who is the elder brother of former BCCI president and India captain Sourav Ganguly, said: “We have not yet got anything officially from the Kolkata Police.”
“Unless we get something officially, we can’t inform the ICC. Security issue is being taken care of by the Kolkata Police. That is not our look-out. As I said, we have not got anything officially, if we get anything we will inform ICC.”
The Indian media report further added that some of the top officials of CAB visited the Kolkata Police headquarters in Lalbazar a few days back..
