After the announcement of the ODI World Cup 2023 schedule, the likes of MPs (Members of Parliament) from Punjab and Kerala have expressed their displeasure. The likes of Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer (Sports Minister from Punjab) and Shastri Tharoor (MP from Kerala) aren’t happy as their states didn’t get a single game for the tournament. PCA Stadium in Mohali and Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram have hosted international games.
Notably, the Mohali venue hosted some games in the 2011 ODI and 2016 20-20 World Cup. While Tharoor claims that the Thiruvananthapuram venue is world-class and is unfortunate not to get a game, the Punjab Sports Minister is looking to raise the issue with the Indian Cricket Board. The latter said that ‘politicization’ in deciding the venue will be raised with the Indian Board
“The exclusion of Punjab’s Mohali from the list of host cities for the tournament was due to political interference. Punjab government will raise this issue with the Indian Board,” Hayer had said.
The Mohali venue wasn’t upto standards to host a World Cup game: Rajiv Shukla
In reply, the Indian Cricket Board vice-president has refuted the Punjab Sports Minister’s claims. The former added that the Mullanpur Stadium is not yet ready.
“Virat Kohli’s 100th Test last year was given to Mohali. Mullanpur Stadium is getting ready in Mohali. Had it been ready, they would have got a World Cup match. The current stadium in Mohali did not meet the standards of the Apex Council and hence was denied matches. But that does not matches would not be given to them. Bilateral series matches will be given to them, it is based on a rotational system. No ‘pick and choose’ has been done. Apex Council consent is important in finalising the venues. In Trivandrum, warm-up matches have been given, for the first time. It is not that any centre/zone has been ignored. Stadiums have been chosen after a lot of consideration, even in North East Zone, Guwahati got the matches. A lot of accommodation has been done in the schedule,” he told news agency ANI.
This is how Twitter reacted
What do you mean by Kohli's 100th test? You can't give lollipop like that. A WORLD CUP is WORLD CUP. You can't compare it with normal bilateral even if was Kohli's 100th test
— Cricket Blike (@Cricket_blike) June 28, 2023
PCA is building this mullanpur stadium for many yrs now. When it will ne getting ready? After another decade?
— ???????????? (@Indianthinkr77) June 28, 2023
mohali old stadium still better than most of other grounds and give great vibe … bcci play politics here pic.twitter.com/99rVjrIGMs
— NOPE?? (@gurmann__98) June 28, 2023
Nice excuses,ekana is fit ? Chepauk is fit ? These are the worst stadiums in the World
— ? ? ????? ???? ? ? (@screwgauge77) June 28, 2023
we all saw great drainage system of Narendra Mod Stadium in IPL, it certainly shouldn't meet standards in this new age
— sah3b (@sahebabdullah) June 28, 2023
India has many Stadiums. Every stadium can't get matches.
— JP Chadda (@JP_Chadda) June 28, 2023
2 world cup semis over the years tons of internationals and suddenly out of standard ho gya , Bahane ache banalo Jay Shah aur BCCI
— AARYAN (@AARYAN0791) June 28, 2023
if anyone has ever been to the PCA stadium they know how disorganised everything is. You have to stand in queue for long hours even if you have the ticket. No wonder BCCI did it.
— Rahul (@RAHUL86635671) June 28, 2023
What icc standards?
Weren't some important games of 2011WC as well as of T20WC 2016 played at Mohali itself?— Rishabh Raj (@ImRishabh251) June 28, 2023
wtf logic, Mohali was announced venue earlier, later it turned out to be kohli's 100th test, if kohli would have missed any test earlier than that, his 100th test would have been on another venue
— ?????? ???? ????? (@Dbajwa07) June 28, 2023
