By IANS,
New Delhi : Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) officials sought to distance themselves from the preparation of the Ferozeshah Kotla track, which was unfit for batsmen, forcing the abandonment of the fifth and final One-day international between India and Sri Lanka here Sunday.
DDCA vice president Chetan Chauhan, who is also DDCA ground and pitches committee chairman, said they didn’t have much role to play in preparing the track, which was relaid at the start of the season.
“My role is only of supervision and everything was done on the advice of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) pitch committee. We did not have much role to play in laying of the track. We have just used our staff,” said Chauhan. “I am not backing off from my responsibility, but we have not done anything on our own,” he added.
DDCA president Arun Jaitley, however, said they are not going to start a blame game.
“We are not starting any blame game here. Its a cricketing matter and we will do everything in consulation with the BCCI. We are a responsible association and our job is to look into the matter so that such things do not happen in future,” he said.
Jaitley said the DDCA will look into the matter ‘very seriously’ and take appropriate action so that such such incidents do not happen in future.
Jaitley said that DDCA would refund the spectators’ money.
“We deeply regret the inconvenience caused to the spectators and all others. I apologise on behalf of the association,” he said.
“We have decided to refund all gate tickets. The money will be refunded through the medium from where they were sold like banks and Internet companies.”
“We have taken the matter extremely seriously. It is a technical matter and we will get the possible technical expertise to look into it.”
The ICC Code of Conduct clearly states that the ground, which produce an unfit pitch could lose its Test and ODI status for a period of 12 to 24 months.
But Jaitley said: “We are not thinking about it. As I said right now we have to look into all the aspect of the matter and we will take the best possible technical expertise.”
Asked what exactly was the observation of match referee Alan Hurst before calling off the match, Jaitley said: “Match referee made various consultations. We have some informal information but it will be better of the concerned authorities speak about it.”
After the low-scoring Champions League matches followed by the ODI between India and Australia, the track, under the supervision of BCCI pitches and grounds committee’s chief co-coordinator Daljit Singh and Kotla curator Vijay Bahadur Mishra, was given a face-lift last month with a tinge of grass cover.