Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru could in all probability play hosts to South Africa for the limited-overs series coming up next month between India and South Africa women. This development is due to the inability of the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) to conduct the matches in Thiruvananthapuram.
According to the KCA Secretary Sreejith V. Nair, Kerala was supposed to play the hosts for eight games comprising of three ODIs and five T20Is starting from the first week of March preceded by a training camp of fourteen days. But the sudden change of plans is attributed to the owners of the Greenfield Sports Hub Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, IL & FS, who had already booked the stadium for two weeks for an army recruitment drive.
Speaking to PTI Nair said, “IL & FS did not even inform us while booking the stadium on dates clashing with the women’s series. It is a violation of our MoU with them. We have written to the BCCI expressing our inability to host the games.”
Following the recent update on India-South Africa women’s series – #Bangalore could be the venue for five ODIs and three T20Is. #INDWvSAW pic.twitter.com/YXfeSarBfT
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With this latest development, Bengaluru has emerged as a viable option. Quoting a BCCI source, “Bengaluru is a good option but again with the Covid-19 still very much around, we are dependent on government permission and the logistics to need to be worked out. We are still targeting the first week of March to start the series.”
Though the Indian team has been intimated about the series, both BCCI and Cricket South Africa are yet to officially announce the series. While South Africa has already had a successful series against Pakistan, with South Africa winning the ODI series 3-0 and the T20I series 2-1, India is yet to play any international match after their appearance in the 2020 ICC T20 World Cup Final in March last year. Their only outing since that final was the exhibition T20 Challenge in UAE in November.
The same source said, “The players have been training at their respective centers but of course they will need at least ten days to train together before the series. They have been away from the game a long time now.”
Given the protocols to be followed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this series will be played in a bio bubble due to which both the teams will need to assemble at least two weeks before the first game with six days as the quarantine period.
Source – FirstPost
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