The Board of Control for Cricket in India has given the Delhi & District Cricket Association a deadline of November 17 to get their house in order, failing which the fourth and final Test match between India and South Africa will be shifted to Pune.
"The [BCCI] president [Shashank Manohar] has made it clear at the meeting that the DDCA has to get the required permissions by November 17 and inform the BCCI. If the deadlock between DDCA and the state government continues and if by November 17 they don't get the required permission then match will be allotted to Pune," BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur said in Mumbai on Tuesday.
The fourth and final Test match of the ongoing series between India and South Africa is scheduled to be held in Delhi from December 3-7.
The Delhi Test to be staged at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium is in jeopardy following a CBI inquiry against some officials on corruption charges. Also an assessment order by the Delhi government relating to entertainment tax served on the DDCA directing it to pay Rs 24.45 crore is another major worry for them.
Earlier this month, the Delhi government asked the DDCA to deposit the required amount within 15 days from the receipt failing which 'necessary action will be initiated under the provisions of the Delhi Entertainments and Betting Tax Act 1996'.
Apparently, if the DDCA is unable to host the match it may be moved to the Maharashtra Cricket Association stadium in Pune, which was among the six new venues to be approved as Test centres after BCCI's annual general meeting Mumbai.
