Unpredictable bounce off Ferozshah Kotla pitch injures Lankan players, forces final ODI to be abandoned; amid talk of ICC banning stadium.
Indian cricket ended the year with the Test championship silverware on its mantlepiece and a comprehensive win over Sri Lanka in both Tests as well as one-day internationals (ODIs). However, the tinge of red on the faces of Indian cricket board officials on Sunday was not caused by exhilaration. The blushes were the result of acute embarrassment over a “dangerous” wicket at the Ferozshah Kotla ground in Delhi.
The fifth and final ODI against Sri Lanka was abandoned after the pitch was declared unfit midway through the Lankan innings. Put in to bat, they were 83 for five in the 24th over when match referee Alan Hurst, after consultation with umpires and the captains, called a halt to the game. Hours after the stoppage, the BCCI wielded the axe, disbanding its pitches committee led by Daljit Singh. Curiously enough, only a fortnight ago, the BCCI had doubled the salary of its curators to Rs40,000 per month.
Since the series had been decided before the Delhi match, the decision to put off the fifth game did not become a contentious matter. However, the Ferozshah Kotla came into the line of fire, facing the danger of being scrapped as a venue for the 2011 World Cup.
When contacted, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said it needed to factor in a variety of things before taking a final decision. “I do not know whether the high-end or low-end of the punishment will be imposed on the centre. It will depend on the findings,” Dave Richardson, general manager, ICC, told DNA. He, along with chief match referee Ranjan Madugalle, will adjudicate the matter. For now, the ICC panel will wait for the report of the match referee, BCCI’s submission and the video analysis of the match. The process may take a month.
However, despite the morning blame game between the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) and the BCCI over who was at fault for the sticky wicket, it is learnt that the Indian cricket board will try its best to protect the stadium’s status as a World Cup venue. The BCCI is not too pleased with the match referee’s decision to abandon Sunday’s game against Sri Lanka. “Will the match referee have called off the match if the Sri Lanka were 100 for no loss?” asked a top BCCI official. “What has happened in Delhi is unfortunate but we will not let the DDCA down at the ICC level.”
DDCA is one of the most influential associations of the BCCI. Its high-profile president Arun Jaitley is a key policy-maker and an adviser to top office-bearers. Board president Shashank Manohar holds Jaitley in high esteem. Even former president Sharad Pawar, a political adversary to BJP’s Jaitley, had given due weightage to the DDCA.
The ICC’s decision can perhaps be seen in its chief executive’s statement. Haroon Lorgat, the chief executive of the world body, has already said that it is too early to say if Delhi deserves a World Cup ban.
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