NEW DELHI: The ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 is only a few months away, so preparations are in full swing. As the excitement among cricket fans grew, troubling news emerged from a key venue of the tournament.
On August 9, a fire broke out in Kolkata's Eden Gardens Stadium, the venue of the World Cup semi-finals. The stadium had been undergoing renovations, and the fire was started by a short circuit in the dressing room, according to India Today. The player's belongings in the dressing room were turned to ashes as a result of the fire.
Representatives from the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) visited Kolkata last week to evaluate the iconic Eden Gardens stadium, which will not only host the tournament's semifinals but also several high-profile matches.
The ODI World Cup will feature ten nations and will be played across ten venues from October 5 to November 19, with the tournament opening and final being held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The tournament will feature 48 matches spread out over 46 days.
Snehasish Ganguly, president of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), recently told the news agency PTI that the ICC inspection team was pleased with the Eden Gardens restoration. The stadium, which can hold over 65,000 people, is one of the most popular venues in the world, but the fire incident has raised worries about the stadium's safety in hosting this premier event.
