The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly responded to MP Shashi Tharoor’s remarks of Thiruvananthapuram being ignored as a venue for the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023, by saying that there can only be 10 venues for the tournament and that they cannot just focus on the south.
Ten teams will feature in this biggest Cricket World Cup ever, 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. The event will feature 48 matches to be played across 46 days.
Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday said that Thiruvananthapuram, Mohali and Ranchi should have been given an opportunity to hold a World Cup match. He also said that it is a big mistake on the part of BCCI.
“It’s a long tournament. They could have spread the joy a little better. Thiruvananthapuram, Mohali and Ranchi should have been given an opportunity to hold a World Cup match. It is not necessary for any one venue to get 4-5 matches. This is a big mistake on the part of BCCI,” Tharoor said.
This is the first time India is hosting the ODI World Cup tournament solely. Before this, India hosted the 1987 World Cup with Pakistan, the 1996 World Cup with Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and then the 2011 World Cup with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
India hosted the T20 World Cup solely in 2016.
There Are Matches In The South Like Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai: BCCI
Thiruvananthapuram was denied the opportunity to host the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2023 matches, according to a source with The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), because there can only be 10 venues for the competition and they cannot just concentrate on the south region because Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Chennai are being chosen as the venues.
“There are matches in the south like Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai – total have to be 10 venues so can’t concentrate everything in south,” a BCCI source said.
Regarding Tharoor’s statement, a BCCI insider said that if Tharoor is eager to hold matches in Kerela, he should work to transfer control of the stadium from IL&FS to the state association.
“If Tharoor is so keen to get a match in Kerela – can he first get the stadium under the control of the state association? Why is it under the control of ILFS and why should BCCI take the headache of getting extra permissions?
In other countries – there are only a total of 6-7 venues but ICC allowed us more because we are a big country so we can’t make everyone happy,” the source further added.
Eight teams have qualified for the 46-day event through the Cricket World Cup Super League, and the winners of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe will fill the final two seats.