The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) has appealed to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to consider moving the highly anticipated England vs Pakistan ODI World Cup match from its scheduled date of November 12 to an alternative date, November 11. This decision comes as the city police have expressed concerns over enhanced security measures required for the game due to the presence of the Pakistan cricket team. Additionally, November 12 coincides with Kalipujo, a significant Hindu festival celebrated in the region.
Sources reveal that CAB officials held a meeting with local law enforcement authorities on Thursday to discuss the situation. Following this meeting, the association officially communicated its request for a date change to Jay Shah, the Secretary of BCCI, citing the law-and-order concerns arising from the festival and the cricket match being held simultaneously.
This incident follows a recent occurrence in Ahmedabad, where the police expressed their inability to provide security for the India vs Pakistan game scheduled for October 15, due to its clash with the first day of the nine-day Hindu festival of Navaratri. Subsequently, the match was rescheduled to October 14, though there hasn’t been an official statement from the International Cricket Council (ICC) or BCCI regarding this change.
Shah has acknowledged that date changes for certain matches became necessary due to concerns expressed by participating cricket boards regarding the logistical challenges of travel between matches. Managing a major religious event and a high-profile cricket match on the same day poses significant challenges for the Kolkata police.
The CAB now faces a challenging situation, given their past experience. In 2011, during the previous ODI World Cup held in this region, the iconic Eden Gardens stadium was deemed unfit to host the India vs England game. While the venue did host three matches that didn’t involve India, this history casts a shadow on the current situation.
CAB and cricket enthusiasts in Kolkata are eager to prevent the England vs Pakistan match from being relocated to another city. In their efforts to resolve this situation, association officials have also reached out to Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, seeking her intervention.
Initially, the World Cup schedule designated Eden Gardens to host five matches, including encounters between Bangladesh and Netherlands, Bangladesh and Pakistan, India and South Africa, the England vs Pakistan match on November 12, and the second semi-final on November 16. The release of this World Cup schedule came with some delay, as it was made public on June 27, just 100 days prior to the tournament’s scheduled commencement on October 5 in Ahmedabad. In contrast, the schedules for the past two editions of the tournament were announced more than a year in advance.
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As the countdown to the World Cup continues, fans are eagerly awaiting updates on ticket sales while the tournament is set to kick off with the reigning champions, England, facing New Zealand. The championship will conclude on November 5, but the status of ticket availability remains uncertain.
For further updates on this developing situation and the upcoming ODI World Cup, stay tuned to reliable sources and official announcements from the BCCI and ICC.
