Cricket organisers seek Kolkata reprieve

MUMBAI, (Reuters) – Local organisers have made a  last-ditch effort to have Kolkata’s Eden Gardens reinstated as  the venue for the high-profile India v England World Cup match.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) dropped the venue on  Thursday after it missed the final Jan. 25 deadline but  organisers have asked for an extension and promised the venue  would be ready to hand over by Feb. 7.
In addition to the India v England game on Feb. 27, Eden  Gardens had been scheduled to host three other World Cup matches  on March 15, 18 and 20.
Kolkata’s failure to have its stadium ready is the latest  blow to India’s ambition of showing off its growing financial  clout after the Commonwealth Games in Delhi last October were  blighted by shoddy construction, dirty housing and  organisational blunders.
Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) President Jagmohan  Dalmiya has sent a letter to India’s board (BCCI) asking them to  contact the ICC to request the extension and to get specifics on  the ICC’s concerns.
“If these details are conveyed to us with immediate effect,  we would ensure that all of these requirements are met by the  suggested specified deadline of Feb. 7,” Dalmiya wrote in the  letter.
“We will take cognizance of all the ICC’s concerns  pertaining to ‘cricketing, broadcast, media, sponsor hospitality  and tickets requirements’, which are reasonable, if we are  allowed the extended deadline of 10 days.
“Finally, we also state that we will address the bulk of the  ICC concerns by Jan. 31 itself and the remaining little, if any,  in another seven days.”
An ICC committee report approved three Sri Lanka venues —  Colombo, Hambantota and Pallekele — and Mumbai’s Wankhede  Stadium, the venue for the final, subject to minor finishing  work being completed within 14 days.
“There’s no change to the situation from yesterday,” an ICC  representative told Reuters an email.