Kotla gets one year ban for pitch fiasco, retains World Cup matches

By Rahul Bajaj
for Cricketain.com

Published: January 22, 2010

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Chennai: Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla will not stage any international matches for one year as the ICC banned the venue after the fifth one-day international between India and Sri Lanka was abandoned in the capital last month due to a dangerous pitch.

The stadium, however, retained the four matches it was scheduled to stage during the World Cup, to be jointly hosted with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh from February 19 to April 2, next year.

“Following the conclusion of a full investigation into the circumstances that led to the abandonment… the ICC confirms that no international cricket will be played at the New Delhi ground until the end of December 2010,” the International Cricket Council said on Thursday.

The fifth and final ODI between Sri Lanka and India at the stadium was called off last month after just 23.3 overs due to a dangerous pitch on which the tourists had struggled to reach 83 for 5. Match referee Alan Hurst classified the pitch unfit, the worst of six possible categories, attracting a suspension of the status to host international matches for a period between 12-24 months.

The response of Board of Control for Cricket in India, along with the match footage, was reviewed by the ICC’s chief referee Ranjan Madugalle, and the governing body’s cricket operations manager Dave Richardson.

“As part of its investigation, the ICC received a submission from the BCCI assuring it that no international match is scheduled and therefore no international match will be played at the ground until the end of 2010,” the statement said. “Keeping this in mind, the ICC has decided to endorse this action on the part of BCCI as part of its concluding report.”

ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat, meanwhile, was confident that the historic venue would be ready in time for the World Cup. “Let’s not forget, this ground is one of the world’s iconic venues and it’s imperative it stages matches during what is the game’s biggest tournament,” he said.

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