Even as security team from Pakistan arrived in Dharamsala, BCCI and ICC have kept second option ready should match be moved out
According to the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), venues for the World T20 matches were decided one year in advance. However, isn't it laughable that both the bodies aren't sure of two of the most prominent venues – Delhi and Dharamsala – hosting their respective matches come the proper tournament that begins on March 15?
Even as the security team from Pakistan reached Dharamsala on Monday to check arrangements for the controversy-filled India-Pakistan match there on March 19, neither BCCI nor ICC were sure about the outcome as the final decision will only come from Islamabad after a formal report is sent to the Pakistan government.
Given this uncertainty, both ICC and BCCI have already started discussing a contingency plan should the match be shifted out of the picturesque city. And, Delhi is being considered as the "best option" to hold the match keeping in mind the security arrangements.
"Keeping in mind the security of Pakistan team, Delhi has been considered as the safest bet. But we need to wait for their decision," a senior BCCI official said on Monday.
However, dna has learnt that BCCI is unhappy about the Pakistan security team not discussing any of its agenda or plans during its stay in India.
"The team will be there in Dharamsala for two-three days. That's all the BCCI or HPCA (Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association) know till now. They want to do everything secretively," added the BCCI official.
ICC CEO Dave Richardson said Pakistan will not pull out of the tournament.
"We have got a contingency plan in place. There are various options available. But it wouldn't be appropriate for us to discuss it now. There are certain individuals who try to promote their own interest. From the ICC's perspective, if the politicians and outside stakeholders are looking for various breakdowns and creating level of mistrust, it's not a good thing. The ICC is communicating with both the BCCI and the PCB on urgent basis.
Pakistan is not going to pull out of the tournament," Richardson said on the eve of World T20 qualifiers.
The ICC wasn't expecting this kind of lack of preparation from the BCCI and the atmosphere of uncertainty has not gone down too well with the sport's world governing body.
Good news from DDCA
The first good news for BCCI and ICC came on Monday evening from the Ferozeshah Kotla when Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) finally obtained the completion certificate from the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC). This has brightened the chances of DDCA hosting 10 men's and women's matches allotted to it.
However, the final picture will only be clear after DDCA's Special Leave Petition (SLP) will come up for hearing in the Supreme Court on Tuesday, challenging an Archaeological Survey of India's (ASI) orders of demolition the Old Club House structure.
ICC probes Hong Kong team
A day after ICC's anti-corruption unit chief Ronnie Flanagan informed that an international team was under investigation for attempting to "manipulate" forthcoming matches, Richardson revealed that the team under scanner was Hong Kong.
"In recent times you would have read in the media that a particular player was suspended from his country and the investigations relate to the same team," he said.
However, Richardson ruled out any match-fixing possibility. "We should not speculate that it involves or there's any match-fixing or anything going on with particular players or a particular team."
ICC had suspended Hong Kong all-rounder Irfan Ahmed in January for failing to report a suspicious approach from an individual.
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