Independence Cup fixture snarled in red tape

A bureaucratic dispute has jeopardised the inaugural match of the Independence Cricket Cup between Pakistan and New Zealand, slated to be played at Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in New Delhi on May 9.

The Sports Authority of India, which owns the Nehru stadium, has asked the Delhi and District Cricket Association to pay Rs 2 million in advance as guarantee money and also import polygrass worth Rs 2 million for covering the synthetic track.

Sources from the DDCA, which is supposed to conduct the day-and-night match, refused to pay the advance or the full cost of the polygrass. DDCA officials say the SAI was violating an agreement wherein it was decided that the two organisations would share the cost of laying polygrass. Since the polygrass would remain, it was agreed also that the DDCA would get first preference in any future fixture. It was also decided that the match profit would be shared in the ratio 3:2.

"During discussions the SAI never hinted that it would ask for advance money," one official said. DDCA sources pointed out that the match would not have been slotted for Delhi but for the strong pitch made by DDCA Sports Secretary Sunil Dev before the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

The DDCA has asked the SAI to confirm the terms of agreement so that it can inform the BCCI for work on the pitch to begin. If the SAI doesn’t comply, the match would have to be scratched, the sources said.