Women's World Cup: Thiruvananthapuram set to step in after Chinnaswamy Stadium declared 'unsafe'
Kochi:
Bengaluru's loss could become
Thiruvananthapuram
's gain, with the Greenfield Stadium in Karyavattom now likely to host some matches in the upcoming Women's World Cup (scheduled from September 30 to November 2).
Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) president K Jayesh confirmed to TOI that discussions with the International Cricket Council (ICC) are ongoing.
The M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru was awarded four matches — including the final, provided Pakistan did not qualify — when the ICC announced the official tournament itinerary. However, a tragic turn of events has put those plans on hold. A deadly stampede outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4, during the Royal Challengers Bangalore's IPL victory celebrations, claimed 11 lives.
In the aftermath, the Karnataka government reportedly withdrew permission to host any matches at the venue.
The state government's decision followed the findings of a government-commissioned probe led by Justice John Michael D'Cunha. The commission declared the stadium 'fundamentally unsafe' for large-scale events. The fallout has already affected other events. The Chinnaswamy Stadium was recently denied permission to host the KSCA Maharaja T20 Trophy, which has now been shifted to Mysuru's Srikantadatta Narasimha Raja Wadeyar ground.
In light of these developments, ICC chairman Jay Shah met with KCA president Jayesh in Mumbai earlier this week and posed a pivotal question: 'Are you ready to take over as the host?'
'We assured him that Thiruvananthapuram is ready to host the Women's World Cup matches. We have the necessary infrastructure in place,' Jayesh said. While an official confirmation from the ICC is still pending, the KCA remains optimistic. 'It's not yet confirmed how many matches we will host. We are waiting for the ICC's nod and several logistical challenges still need to be addressed,' Jayesh added.
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