Cricket collective rues loss of Chinnaswamy Stadium standing

Bengaluru: On Friday, the International Cricket Council (ICC) stated that all the ICC Women’s World Cup matches, which were to be played at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, will now be played at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. This change came after the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) notified the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that it had not received the required permissions to host large-scale events at the stadium.

The sense of loss of standing of the historic cricket venue has been felt across the city. The stampede during the RCB’s IPL victory gala near the Chinnaswamy Stadium, which has witnessed numerous world-class cricket events and significant milestones, acted as a crucial reminder to address the pressing issues.

Joseph Hoover, a sports writer and cricket coach, said, “It’s very unfortunate that a World Cup match, be it women’s or men’s, is being given away due to the stampede on June 4. This embarrassment could certainly have been avoided.”

Another coach, Rahmatullah Khan, also rued the state of affairs for the stadium, “It’s very disappointing because we have such good fans. It’s something we certainly look forward to getting back in the future.” While there is a sense of disappointment, there is also an understanding of the circumstances and a feeling that things need to change.

“They can’t hold large events at the stadium, and it has problems which need to be solved,” said Shameer, a coach at the Karnataka Institute of Cricket.

“Fans have to suffer because of the foolishness of some people who allowed the stampede to happen,” Hoover said. “I feel that the KSCA should have done this earlier itself for improving the facilities and the safety measures like the fire department had asked to provide. There is enough money in the bank,” he added.

Fans complained about the facilities available at the stadium and found it justified that the venue had been changed. Sushmita Bhattacharjee, an ardent fan, said, “I honestly feel the stampede was a reflection of the bad administration, and it is completely fair to not host any major event until the basics are covered and human security and safety aren’t tossed.”

She also complained about the lack of infrastructure in the city and said, “Hosting any events is a difficult task due to the issues of traffic and lack of infrastructure.” Another fan, Anushka Sivakumar, also squarely blamed the KSCA, “They didn’t get police approvals for certain things, so they should really improve on this.”

It was also evident that fans felt a great sense of loss and would like to see cricket return to the city. “This is a big kick for Bengaluru,” said Sivakumar.