Punjab Sports Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer wrote to Board of Control for Cricket India (BCCI) Chairman Roger Binny related to the snubbing of Mohli as a venue for ICC World Cup 2023 matches. the former Indian cricketer to allocate some matches to Punjab, saying there was “no sense of fair play” in the scheduling of the matches.
BCCI along with ICC recently announced the schedule for the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, which is scheduled to take place on October 5 in India. For the first time in a long time, Mohli was not part of the venues selected for the tournament, as the governing body chose only 10 stadiums.
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The cities that will host the World Cup are Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Dharamsala, Delhi, Chennai, Lucknow, Pune, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Kolkata. However, quite a few renowned venues in India, which have been hosting games for India, regularly missed out. Mohali along with Indore, Rajkot, Ranchi and Nagpur are among them.
Also Read: ICC World Cup 2023 ODI Schedule, India 2023, Venue, PDF 2023. Date, Group, Match List, Schedule, Team List, India Squad
This has generated massive controversy as India’s major state associations have expressed disappointment after losing the hosting rights for the ICC World Cup 2023. Speaking of Punjab, BCCI said that Mohali does not meet the standards set by ICC. and therefore has not been assigned any World Cup matches.
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The Punjab Sports Minister expressed his disappointment and highlighted how the Punjab state has given the Indian team some brilliant talents, who have taken the nation to great heights. Writing in an official letter, he said (quoted by ANI):
“Punjab is known throughout the world for its age-old traditions of unrivaled bravery, unrivaled hospitality and unwavering faith in secular ideals. This land of warriors blessed by gurus, saints, philosophers, and poets has nurtured the ideals of peace, compassion, and communal friendship since primordial times.
“Also in the field of sports, Punjab has the distinction of being the favorite and standard-bearer of the Nation. When it comes to the national craze i.e. Cricket, Punjab has the honor of producing legends viz.
Lala Amarnath, Bishan Singh Bedi Mohinder Amarnath, Yashpal Sharma, Madan Lal, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh, Reetinder Sodhi, Dinesh Mongia, Harvinder Singh, Vikram Rathore, Sharandeep Singh and latest sensations Shubman Gill and Arshdeep Singh, the the list is endless.
Also Read: ICC World Cup 2023 Team List
ICC World Cup 2023: “Noor sense of fair play in match scheduling”, says Punjab Sports Minister
Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer went on to say that he wants to know why Mohali is not meeting the expectations of the ICC as they have hosted some big games. He stated that Mohali is the first choice of cricket fans, adding that there is no sense of fair play in the scheduling of matches. He explained (quoted by ANI):
“I (Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer) want to know based on the ICC criteria that Mohali was deemed ineligible for the match. Apart from this, any changes made to the rules at present should also be brought to light as the India-Australia International T20 match was played in September 2022. Also, ODI World Cup matches including two semi-finals , have also been played in the past.
“It should also be stated if the ICC team visited the Mohali Stadium to inspect the standards. Mohali is always the first choice of cricket fans. Mohali has an international airport and the city also has better infrastructure and hotels suitable for the stay of the teams. However, the schedule for the upcoming ICC World Cup-2023 to be held in October and November this year does not include any match allocation to Punjab, which completely belies the sense of fair play.”
The ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 has everyone excited ever since the ICC announced the schedule of the tournament. The event will start on October 5 and the final set will take place on November 19. Coming to the Indian cricket team, they will play their first match on October 8 against Australia.
Also Read: ICC World Cup 2023 Schedule
Virat Kohli | Rohit Sharma | Rishabh Pant | KL Raul | Suryakumar Yadav | Sanju Samson | Shreyas Iyer | Yuzvendra Chahal | Jasprit Bumrah