On Wednesday, BCCI’s press release read that the second Paytm Second One-Day International (ODI) of the 5-match series between India and West India will now be played at Visakhapatnam’s Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA–VDCA Cricket Stadium. The match was formerly scheduled to take place at Indore’s Holkar Cricket Stadium on 24th October 2018. Here is the revised schedule for the ODI series:
Earlier, it has been reported that the second ODI was touted to be shifted out of Indore due to a tussle between BCCI and Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) for complimentary passes. As per the new BCCI constitution, 90 percent tickets of the total capacity of the stadium should be put on public sale which effectively means 10 percent of complimentary tickets left with the state association.
In this case, the Holkar stadium has the capacity to accommodate 27,000 fans and MPCA will be left with 2700 complimentary tickets. The BCCI also demands its share of free passes for its sponsors and thus the bone of contention.
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Talking about the same, MPCA joint secretary Milind Kanmadikar told PTI, “The managing committee of MPCA has decided that it is not possible to organize the second ODI between India and West Indies in Indore if BCCI doesn’t back down from its demand for complimentary tickets. We have intimated BCCI.”
UPDATE: Second Paytm ODI against Windies shifted to Visakhapatnam #INDvWI
Full details here 👉👉👉 https://t.co/hehwdLc5JW pic.twitter.com/fdxsxuZr8d
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 3, 2018
He further added, “We cannot accept BCCI’s demand for hospitality tickets. We have only 7000 seats in the pavilion (hospitality) gallery and going by 10 percent, we would be left with only 700 seats. Now if we give five percent of that, we are left with only 350 hospitality tickets. Even we have to cater demands of our members, various government agencies. We also have only 10 percent complimentaries in our state unit’s constitution but from that, we can give the amount (five percent from each gallery) BCCI wants.”
The outcry for free passes during international games has always been an issue with BCCI affiliated units but BCCI brass termed it as ”blackmailing tactic” from Kanmadikar.
Talking about the same, a senior BCCI official said, ”We don’t want to shift the match from Indore but if they create issues we have to prepare an alternate venue. This is pure blackmailing tactic from Kanmadikar. During India’s tour of West Indies in 2017, Milind Kanmadikar was supposed to be the administrative manager but CoA chief Vinod Rai scuttled it as he felt that it was a glorified junket for state unit officials. Kanmadikar has not forgotten that slight and this is his way of getting back.”
