20 November,2015 11:38 AM IST | | Harit N Joshi
Although the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Anurag Thakur did not rule out Chennai as a venue from staging ICC World T20 matches, the Indian cricket board will seal their fate by the end of this month
Although the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Anurag Thakur did not rule out Chennai as a venue from staging ICC World T20 matches, the Indian cricket board will seal their fate by the end of this month.
TNCA has already missed the August 25 deadline to get a clearance on three stands which have been locked for nearly two years now.
Anurag Thakur
"We have sent a fresh letter to the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA). We are awaiting a reply from them. If we don't get any response, we will take a decision by November 30 on whether Chennai gets to host ICC World T20 matches," a source told mid-day after the Managing Committee meeting for the ICC World T20 met at the Cricket Centre yesterday.
The source said all other centres have the requisite permissions to stage matches, except Chennai. A complete fixture of the matches will be released in about 15 days' time, it is learnt. The final will be played on April 3 at Kolkata's Eden Gardens.
Thakur said Chennai has several limitations. "We have not ruled out Chennai. The only issue is which matches can be played in Chennai. There are certain limitations. You can't play Sri Lanka there, three stands are not complete, you can't keep Indian fans away from those games. So many things have to be considered before allocating matches to these centres," said the BCCI secretary.
Is there a standby venue for Chennai? "I think that situation won't arise," Thakur told reporters yesterday.
New challenges
Meanwhile, Thakur stressed on the need to give something extra to fans after a successful 2011 World Cup in India. "The new challenge is what extra you can do. Like we are going to earmark a specific area for specially abled people so that they don't find it difficult to go there (to the stadiums). There should be turnstiles everywhere, there should be proper security. The toilet must be clean, there should be drinking water. These are the basic amenities which should be there so that the fans should enjoy experience. The 2016 World Cup is dedicated to the fans. Any fan coming to the stadium should have a memorable experience. The city should be decorated in a way so that you should have a buzz in a big way," said Thakur.
