The International Cricket Council (ICC) is growing anxious at the tardy construction work at half a dozen World Cup venues in India and Sri Lanka.
With 119 days left for the start of the quadrennial event at Dhaka on February 19, 2011, the ICC has raised the issue with the authorities in charge of the World Cup in India and Sri Lanka and expressed apprehension at the venues being completed by the December 31 deadline, one month beyond the Host Agreement venue-completion time of November 30, 2010.
According to sources in Dubai, the ICC's venue consultant, Eugene van Vuuren — on the basis of the progress report of the construction work he has received — has told the ICC event manager Chris Tetley, that he does not expect the facilities at Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Premadasa, Hambanota and Pallekelle to be ready by December 31.
He is particularly concerned with the slow construction/renovation work being carried out in Mumbai, Kolkata, Hambanota and Premadasa. Mumbai is scheduled to host the final at the Wankhede Stadium on April 2.
The ICC has raised no such concerns about the two venues in Bangladesh (Dhaka and Chittagong) and also other Indian venues at Nagpur, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Delhi and Mohali.
Mr. Tetley has remarked in a note that, “It would appear that progress has not been as good as he (Eugene van Vuuren) expected in recent weeks at these venues. The venue can only be considered to have been completed once all utilities and finishings have been installed and the venue is fully operational.”
Mr. Tetley has also observed, “It's often the case that completing the interiors to the necessary standard takes far longer than anticipated, not to mention dealing with the inevitable snag-lists that are always a feature of newly constructed facilities.''
The ICC has now sought a full report from all 13 venues about (a) date for total completion of all work, including construction and interior services and fixtures, (b) assessment of progress at the date of the report, (c) outline of work still to be completed at the date of the report, (d) photographic evidence of all aspects of the venue to support the assessment of progress and outline of work to be completed.
The latest ICC report on World Cup venues has been sent to Campbell Jamieson, General Manager (Commercial), ICC, David Richardson, General Manager (Cricket), ICC and Dhiraj Malhotra, World Cup Coordinator, ICC and also to Indian and Sri Lankan officials.
