The Mumbai Cricket Association has written to the BCCI requesting it to shift the visiting England team’s second warm-up game from the Bandra Kurla Complex ground to D.Y. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai mainly due to security concerns.
“There are a couple of reasons why we want the match (scheduled from November 3 to 5), to be shifted from BKC to D Y Patil Stadium. The first reason is there is no fence on the boundary of the BKC ground, leading to spectators jumping into the playing area,” MCA president Ravi Savant informed PTI today.
The other reason, Savant said, is since England are already scheduled to play the Test match at the Wankhede Stadium from November 23-27, Mumbai city fans can watch them.
“We want to provide the chance to those staying in Navi Mumbai and around, which also is under our jurisdiction, to watch the England team in action,” said Savant.
However, BCCI CAO Prof Ratnakar Shetty pleaded ignorance about receipt of any such letter.
“I don’t know about any such letter. As of now the match is to be held at BKC,” said Shetty curtly.
England are to reach Mumbai on October 29 and will prepare for the four-Test series, considered a grudge series by India after their 0-4 rout in the last away series, by playing three warm-up tour games — two in Mumbai and the third in Ahmedabad, venue of the opening match of the rubber.
England’s tour opener is scheduled from October 30 to November 1 at the Cricket Club of India’s Brabourne Stadium and the third game is to be held on the second ground, just outside the Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera from November 8—11.
The opening Test is scheduled at the Motera main stadium from November 15 to 19 with the subsequent Tests scheduled at Mumbai, Kolkata (December 5-9) and Nagpur (Dec 13-17).
England would play two T20 Internationals against India on December 20 (Pune) and December 22 (Mumbai) prior to departing home for the Christmas and New Year break, before returning to play a five—match ODI series in January 2013.