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ICC World T20 2016 matches may not happen in Chennai, ICC tells BCCI

The ICC made it clear to the BCCI that the three locked stands in the venue must be made available for ticket sales.

A general view of the MA Chidambaram Stadium during a warm-up fixture between India and New Zealand in the ICC World Cup 2011 © Getty Images
A general view of the MA Chidambaram Stadium during a warm-up fixture between India and New Zealand in the ICC World Cup 2011 © Getty Images

The iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai could be deprived its status of being one of the venues during the upcoming ICC World Twenty20 next year. The ICC sent a warning to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that all the stands at the venue need to be available for ticket sales for it to pass the litmus test. Three stands — marked I, J and K — have been shut for the last three years due to a dispute between the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) and the Chennai Corporation, with the former having administrative powers over certain areas of the stadium. The ICC is said to have sent the Indian board two schedules for the latter’s approval, with only one of them including Chennai as an official venue.

According to a report on ESPNCricinfo, there was a slight hint of confusion between the BCCI and the Tamil Nadu cricket body. While BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur had not struck Chennai out from the list of hosts yet and maintained that they were awaiting a response from TNCA, the secretary of the Tamil Nadu cricket administrative board Kasi Viswanathan maintained that they had not received any communication from the BCCI. READ: BCCI has not ruled Chennai out as venue for ICC World T20 2016, says Anurag Thakur

Given the fact that the dispute between the TNCA and Chennai’s municipal corporation does not seem to be heading anywhere, the BCCI had offered for the city to host low-key clashes in the tournament, which is being played in India for the first time after South Africa, England, West Indies, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

The terms and conditions laid before TNCA by the Chennai Corporation involves creating a space between three disputed stands and the Madras Cricket Club (MCC), which would then involve the demolition of the MCC gymnasium, considered to be a heritage property.

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