It's final: No India vs England game for Eden

The International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed yesterday that it cannot hold India vs England World Cup match at Kolkata's Eden Gardens, scheduled for February 27

The International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed yesterday that it cannot hold India vs England World Cup match at Kolkata's Eden Gardens, scheduled for February 27.

"The ICC has conveyed to the BCCI that it will not be able to hold the India vs England match of the ICC Cricket World Cup (CWC) 2011 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on 27 February 2011," the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said in a statement.

The BCCI has recommended Bangalore as the alternate venue.

The ICC on Thursday ruled the Eden Gardens unsuitable for the tie due to its unpreparedness. The scrapping of the venue followed an adverse report from the ICC venue inspection team that reviewed Eden Gardens' readiness for the big event hosted jointly by India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka from Feb 19 to April 2.

Minister slams ICC
Earlier in the day, the West Bengal government, which moved in to ensure the Eden Gardens gets back the match, said less than "five per cent" of construction work remained to be completed and will be done by February 5. State PWD Minister Kshiti Goswami, who took a stock of the preparation yesterday, lashed out at the ICC and claimed it was yet to submit a list of things it wanted to be done for reconsidering whether the game can be held at the historic ground which staged the World Cup final in 1987 and a semi-final in 1996.

"At this juncture, I don't want to implicate them (ICC) by leveling charges. Now we eagerly want the match to be played ufffd If the ICC wants coaxing from our side, we will coax and coax. But the ICC is yet to provide a list of the things it wants to be done. Let them first say what they want. I came here as an observer and inspected the ground with my departmental engineers. Less than five per cent of the civil construction work still remains to be done. We will work on war footing. By February 5 all work will be complete," he said. "And by February 7, Eden will be match fit. Work has reached such a stage that (Cricket Association of Bengal president) Jagmohan Dalmiya can sleep and still hold the match once he wakes up," said Goswami. "Sharad Pawar has said if all conditions are met, the match may be held. He told the CM that he will send an e-mail detailing the points he wanted the CAB to cover. But where is the list?" asked Goswami.

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