Pranab Mukherjee, Finance Minister and negotiator at large is used to getting SOSs: This time it was from Cricket Association of Bengal Chief Jagmohan Dalmiya. The message was: intevene and save the Eden Gardens World Cup match scheduled to be played on 27 February between India and England.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has ruled that Eden Gardens grounds are not fit to play the match. The matches {South Africa-Ireland (March 15), Netherlands-Ireland (March 18) and Zimbabwe-Kenya (March 20)}are on the brink of cancellation.To save the matches, Dalmiya met Mukherjee on Saturday who promised to speak to the ICC chief. It needs only a RAX hotline call: for the President of the ICC is Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar.
It is learnt that Mumbai Cricket Association, Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (Chennai), Vidarbha Cricket Association (Nagpur) and Karnataka State Cricket Association (Bangalore) are standing in the wings, ready to host the match. The ICC will inspect the match on Monday and give another report to the President.
