ICC team in India for doing a recce of all ODI WC venues: Report

NEW DELHI: A reconnaissance team from the International Cricket Council (ICC) is currently in India to visit all the 12 venues that will host the Men’s ODI World Cup matches, including the ones scheduled to host warm-up games.

Currently, the upgradation work is taking place at all 12 venues in the run-up to the mega event, set to be held from October 5 to November 19.

As per a report in Cricbuzz, the ICC team, comprising security, events, and broadcast experts, assessed the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on July 25. Currently, the ICC team is assessing the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, who will be hosting the tournament opener, India-Pakistan match, and finale.

"They are extremely happy with our planning; the only thing left to address from our side is the ticketing issue. We have called an Apex Council meeting on Monday to decide on pricing, and we will inform the BCCI accordingly," Amol Kale, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) president, was quoted as saying in the report.

After Mumbai, the ICC team went to assess the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai on July 26.

"They seemed satisfied with our facilities. We look forward to hearing from them if they have anything in mind. They will write to us," a Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) official was quoted as saying in the report.

Following this, the ICC team went to Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on July 27, and the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on July 28.

The report added that a Kerala Cricket Association member mentioned that the reconnaissance team suggested a few modifications for the corporate boxes and player areas at the stadium, while no apparent issues were found with the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The ICC team will travel to Hyderabad on July 31. The Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), under the supervision of a Supreme Court-appointed administrator, has been working on the stadium.

"They will be visiting us soon, and we are eager to hear their suggestions," said an HCA official.

The ICC team will then continue their visits to Delhi, Dharamsala, Lucknow, Kolkata, and Guwahati before rounding up the tour in Pune in a week's time. The team is being accompanied by Dhiraj Malhotra, the tournament director/host liaison officer from the ICC side for the World Cup.

The report also said the ICC team has been providing advice mainly on operational matters, particularly the requirements inside the grounds.

"Besides security within the stadium, the ICC has been collaborating with the hosts on the Player and Match Official Areas (PMOA) as well as on the needs of the broadcasters," it concluded.