Can’t have everything in South: BCCI source on Thiruvananthapuram being ignored as World Cup venue

NEW DELHI: Thiruvananthapuram did not get a chance to host the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 because there can only be 10 venues for the tournament and they cannot just focus on the south region as Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai are being selected as the venues, according to sources in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

“There are matches in the south like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai — totally, we have to have 10 venues, so we can’t concentrate everything in south”, a BCCI source said.

Ten teams will feature in this biggest Cricket World Cup ever, to be played across 10 venues from October 5 to November 19, with the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad hosting the tournament opener and the final. The event will feature 48 matches to be played across 46 days.

Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday said that Thiruvananthapuram, Mohali and Ranchi should have been given an opportunity to hold a World Cup match. He also said that it is a big mistake on the part of BCCI
“It’s a long tournament. They could have spread the joy a little better. Thiruvananthapuram, Mohali and Ranchi should have been given an opportunity to host a World Cup match. It is not necessary for any one venue to get 4-5 matches. This is a big mistake on the part of BCC”, Tharoor said.

Disappointed to see that Thiruvananthapuram's #SportsHub, hailed by many as the best cricket stadium in India, is missing from the #WorldCup2023 fixture list. Ahmedabad is becoming the new cricket capital of the country, but could a match or two not have been allotted to Kerala? pic.twitter.com/55jU1PLksQ

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) June 27, 2023

The BCCI source said that if Tharoor is keen to have matches in Kerela, then they should try to get the stadium under the control of the state association as it is currently under IL&FS’s control.

“If Tharoor is so keen to get a match in Kerela, can he first get the stadium under the control of the state association? Why is it under the control of IL&FS and why should BCCI take the headache of getting extra permissions?” the BCCI source said.

“In other countries, there are only a total of 6-7 venues, but ICC allowed us more because we are a big country, but we can’t make everyone happy”, the source further added.

The opening match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, featuring defending champions England and runner-up New Zealand, is set to commence on October 5 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. India’s World Cup campaign will begin with a match against Australia on October 8 in Chennai.

The venues other than Ahmedabad and Chennai are Bengaluru, Delhi, Dharamsala, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai and Pune. while Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram will join Hyderabad in hosting the practice games.

Arch rivals India and Pakistan will square off at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 on October 15 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Eight teams have qualified for the 46-day event through the Cricket World Cup Super League while the final two spots will be taken by the finalists of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier taking place in Zimbabwe.

The tournament retains the round-robin format of last time with all teams playing against each other for a total of 45 league matches. There are six-day matches which will start at 10.30 am Indian Standard Time (IST) while all other matches, including the knockouts, will be day-night fixtures starting at 2 pm IST.

The top four teams will qualify for the semifinals, to be played in Mumbai on 15 November and in Kolkata on 16 November. The semifinals and the final will have reserve days. (ANI)