Press Trust of India
New Delhi, Dec 5: The BCCI denied the Delhi Government permission to felicitate World Cup winners (1983 and 2011) from the state, along with former captain Bishan Singh Bedi, inside the Feroz Shah Kotla’s field of play and said that the planned ceremony would have violated norms. The BCCI informed the DDCA, that as per the parent body’s rules ceremonial functions cannot take place in the field of play in the middle of a game.
Although the state government was free to use any other part of the ground, it refused to go ahead after being denied the access to field of play. The Delhi government had intimated DDCA that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will be felicitating 10 stalwarts from the state. The list of players to be felicitated included the likes of Bishan Singh Bedi, Mohinder Amarnath, Madan Lal, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir among others but the felicitation would have violated BCCI norms.
“BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur sent an email that it would not allow any felicitation to be conducted in the playing arena during the course of the Test match. The message was conveyed around 10pm Friday night. It stated that it cannot allow anything inside the field of play,” DDCA treasurer Ravinder Manchanda informed Saturday.
When informed that Virender Sehwag was felicitated inside the match area on the first day, Manchanda clarified: “It was a BCCI event. This is the function of a third party during an ICC-accredited match. So, BCCI stated that nothing could be done inside the playing arena.”
The BCCI informed Virat Kohli that he should stay away from the event.
