Tough sanctions await Feroz Shah Kotla stadium by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Ground:	Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Event:	Sri Lanka in India 2009/10

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DateLine: 29th December 2009

 

Haroon Lorgat has indicated that Feroz Shah Kotla stadium will be facing tough sanctions from the ICC. The substandard pitch forced the match officials to abandon the fifth ODI between India and Sri Lanka. Lorgat who was in the capital on Monday, though refused to speculate over the possible outcomes but said that a notice has already been issued to the BCCI demanding an explanation for the unfortunate incident.

 

“The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has 14 days to respond, starting today to submit its report. After that chief Match Referee Ranjan Madugalle and Dave Richardson will determine the issue to decide what is an appropriate sanction,“ Lorgat said during the press conference.

 

The ICC chief explained the mechanism and said that ICC will come into picture only after the match referee Alan Hurst and the BCCI have submitted their reports to the governing body. “The incident was unfortunate but a decision will only be taken after the match referee and the BCCI, the hosting board have submitted their respective reports,“ he said. “I don’t want to comment or speculate what are the possible sanctions that can be imposed by the ICC because we have two people who will take the final decision. It would take around 10-14 days to prepare the final report and in all it would take nearly a month’s time to wrap up the entire process,” he added.

 

Lorgat also added that the sanctions have been toughened after the Antigua pitch was declared unfit for play earlier this year leading to the cancellation of the match between West Indies and England. “We have toughened up the sanctions following the Antigua incident. The sanctions are clear, if a pitch is declared unfit, there’s a particular sanction and for poor pitches, it’s different and lesser sanctions,” he said.