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| Fingers of blame at BCCI Photo: AFP India will face New Zealand in the World Cup semi-final today at 2:30 pm Bangladesh time at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The British media Mail Online claimed in a special report that the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) changed the wicket of this match without taking the permission of the ICC. The media also claimed, if India win the semi-final and reach the final, 'they can do the same.' That is, if Rohit Sharma's team reaches the final, the wickets can be changed, according to the report of the famous British sports journalist, writer and editor of Wisden Cricketers' Almanac, Lawrence Booth. The World Cup Final will be held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday. Three of the four league matches played at this ground have been played on different wickets. |
The wickets for this ICC event have been prepared under the supervision of Andy Atkinson, the organization's consultant. Atkinson had finalized everything in advance with the cricket board of the host country regarding which match will be played on which wicket. But the Mail Online claim that deal with Atkinson was no longer respected as the tournament progressed. India-New Zealand today's semi-final match will be played on a wicket where two previous matches have been played. The media claimed that such a system is for the spinners of India to get help.
Wicket number 7 at the Wankhede Stadium was pre-arranged for the India-New Zealand semi-final match. None of the four matches held at this ground in the league phase were played on wicket number 7. A WhatsApp group of more than 50 ICC and BCCI officials has confirmed that the first semi-final match will be played from wicket 7, the media claimed. Removed and moved to wicket number 6. England-South Africa and India-Sri Lanka matches have been held on this wicket in the league stage. No clear explanation was given to Atkinson about the change of wicket in the semi-final match.
Reports expressed fear that the same may happen in the final due to changing the wickets of the semi-finals. Atkinson went to Ahmedabad himself last Friday after getting no direct response from the host country's board about the preparations for the final. Mail Online claims that England-New Zealand first match at Narendra Modi Stadium is pre-fixed on 6 They learned that the next three matches were not played on the predetermined wickets, even though they were played on numbered wickets. And Atkinson said in an email sent to his superiors that these changes were made 'without due process or prior warning'.
The media also claimed that Atkinson was told by the ICC's Senior Events Manager at the Narendra Modi Stadium that the India-Pakistan (October 14) match was played at wicket number 7 as per the pre-scheduled schedule. But actually the match was played on wicket number 5.
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| Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad Photo: AFP Atkinson recommends playing the World Cup final at wicket number 5 at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Only one match has been played on this wicket before. But Mail Online claims that Atkinson learned last week that the final match could be played at wicket number 6. There have been two matches on this wicket before. Atkinson wanted to know from the BCCI, who decided these changes? The BCCI said the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA). But the Gujarat Cricket Association claimed that they were acting on BCCI's instructions and that the requests had come directly from the Indian team management.
Portions of Atkinson's emails have been published by Mail Online. There, Atkinson cautioned, "The work certainly leaves room to wonder if this is the first ICC Cricket World Cup final where pitches are specially chosen and prepared at the request of the team management or the host nation's board at a high level." A BCCI spokesperson said, "The ICC's independent pitch consultant is working with the organizers and on the proposed pitch allocation at the venue. And in such a long-range event, it's an ongoing process.' |
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