The International Cricket Council (ICC) Tuesday cleared Eden Gardens for three World Cup matches, ending days of suspense whether the iconic stadium will get to hold any matches in the mega event starting Feb 19.
ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said Tuesday that the world body was happy with the progress of work at the Eden Gardens.
“We have received encouraging reports from Kolkata and we are confident that Eden Gardens will host the remaining three matches,” Lorgat told reporters in the capital.
In Kolkata, Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) joint secretary Biswaroop Dey said they have been intimated of the ICC decision.
“ICC has said that in view of the outstanding progress made in the renovation work at Eden Gardens they are allowing us to host the three games,” Dey told IANS.
The ICC had sent a mail to BCCI which it forwarded to CAB this evening.
The ICC decision comes a day after a three-member team of the apex body inspected the facilities at the Eden Gardens, where the pace of work was tremendously quickened over the last few days after it lost the marquee India-England Feb 27 match due to unpreparedness. The match was shifted to Bangalore.
The iconic ground hosted the final of 1987 World Cup and the semifinal in 1996.
Dey said Eden Gardnes will now try to get India-Ireland match slated to be held in Bangalore March 6.
“As per the BCCI decision all venues will get to host one India match. Bangalore after being given the India-England match now has two matches and, therefore, we request the ICC to give us the India-Ireland match.”
Asked if there is a possibility of Kolkata exchanging the India-Ireland match with Bangalore, Lorgat said: “We have not received any request. But it will be difficult because of logistics. Practically, I don’t think it is possible.”
