The worst fears over preparedness of venues for the Cricket World Cup starting next month materialised on Thursday with the International Cricket Council ruling that Kolkata’s Eden Gardens was unfit to hold its first match — the India-England tie on February 27 — as it failed to meet the deadline for completion of renovations.
The match will now be held at another venue, most likely in Bengaluru. Three Sri Lankan venues — Colombo, Hambantota and Pallekele — and Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium were approved subject to minor finishing work being completed in the specified timeframe, which is 14 days.
The Cricket Association of Bengal reacted strongly against the International Cricket Council’s decision, insisting that Eden Gardens would have been ready in time for the match.
“We were confident of hosting the match. There is no question of being behind schedule. Everything is built up. The entire stadium is renovated,” CAB joint secretary Biswarup Dey said.