The Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) has verified that it has asked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to reconsider the back-to-back World Cup matches scheduled for the city’s Uppal Stadium.
The city has been allotted matches on the 9th and 10th of October, and the HCA, which is supervised by a Supreme Court-appointed administrator, has indicated that arranging security for consecutive days may be problematic.
“It is indeed a concern, and we have brought it to the attention of the BCCI. We have asked the board if the dates can be adjusted,” an HCA official, who works for Retd Justice L Nageswara Rao, told CricAdvisor.
According to the revised schedule, Hyderabad is set to host a match between New Zealand and The Netherlands on October 9, and the very next day, they have been given the match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Both are day/night games.
“At least a one-day break between the games would be helpful. We have discussed with BCCI CEO (acting) Hemang Amin to see if the schedule can be tweaked. If not, we will have no other option but to manage,” the official said.
The World Cup schedule has been the subject of intense debate and scrutiny due to the fact that it was announced just 100 days prior to the beginning of the tournament, and then revised after a few international boards requested modifications.
On August 9, a revised schedule containing nine altered events was published. The bouts were scheduled two days apart in the original schedule. The World Cup tickets have not yet gone on sale.
It is uncommon for the same venue to host consecutive World Cup games, and it is even more unusual that the HCA brought this to the BCCI’s attention so late.
Twelve cities across the country will hold the contests, with Ahmedabad hosting the opening game and the championship on October 5 and November 19, respectively.
