ICC World Cup 2023: Mohali stadium not on venue list

Deepankar Sharda

Chandigarh, June 27

The Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) must have been in utter shock after being excluded from the list of venues for hosting ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 matches.

IS Bindra PCA Stadium was one among the eight selected venues for hosting 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup matches, including the 2011 World Cup semi-final match between India and Pakistan, which the former won by 29 runs. Despite having a newly built Maharaja Yadavindra Stadium in Mullanpur, which is yet to host any international match, the state association didn’t find any mention in the list.

Besides hosting three matches during the 2011 World Cup, the ground also hosted a semi-final match of the 1996 World Cup and three matches of the 2016 T20 World Cup. While the PCA management remained tight-lipped over the issue, the state sports minister described the exclusion of PCA venue as ‘politically’ motivated.

However, the Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) had hinted about PCA’s exclusion in the month of March. The stadium was not shortlisted among 12 venues for hosting World Cup matches. On Tuesday, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the schedule for the World Cup and decided to select 10 stadiums for hosting the matches.

Sources claimed that after the exclusion from the list of the shortlisted venues, PCA officials made all efforts to host World Cup matches, but couldn’t find the breakthrough. This comes at the time when, in April, the Mohali-based stadium found itself among BCCI’s plan to renovate five major stadiums across the country heading into the World Cup. The BCCI had announced Rs 79.46 crore for the ageing stadium in Mohali.

“There can be various reasons, but it’s an ultimate loss for cricket buffs. Various questions were raised in last international games hosted by the PCA regarding managing the crowd. The delay in building the new stadium, which is under construction for the past 10 years now, can be among one of the reasons. The construction was delayed due to Covid. Frankly, the venue has everything from air connectivity to hotels, but being located in the middle of a thick residential area may have led the organisers to drop the venue this year. A lot have been changed since 2011 and 2016 when the stadium hosted T20 World Cup matches, and the office-bearers should seek a proper reason from the BCCI for this exclusion,” said Anup, a cricket buff.

Discrimination against Punjab, says Minister

Meanwhile, Punjab Sports Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer described this decision as ‘politically’ motivated. Hayer said the exclusion of PCA from the list of venues hosting World Cup matches was an open discrimination against Punjab as it was for the first time after the construction of PCA Stadium that World Cup was being held in India and no match was being played here. He said in 1996 and 2011, World Cup semi-finals were played in Mohali. This time, not even a single league match has been allotted to Punjab. Apart from the opening and final matches, Ahmedabad gets to host the India-Pakistan match. “Discrimination against Punjab will not be tolerated at any cost. The state government will raise the issues of discrimination and injustice with the BCCI,” said Hayer.

Previous WC matches in Mohali

Besides hosting three matches during the 2011 World Cup, the ground also hosted a semi-final match of the 1996 World Cup and three matches of the 2016 T20 World Cup.

10 teams to feature in tourney beginning Oct 5

The ICC announced the schedule for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. As many as 10 teams will feature in the World Cup to be played across 10 venues from October 5 to November 19, with the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad hosting the tournament opener and the final. Other nine venues are Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Dharamsala, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai and Pune. Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram will join Hyderabad in hosting practice games. Defending champions England will take on New Zealand in an opening tie in Ahmedabad, while hosts India will face five-time winner Australia in Chennai on October 8. Ahmedabad will also host matches between India and Pakistan (15 October) and Australia and England (4 November).