Lucknow’s Ekana stadium may get ICC nod to host international matches

India’s ICC elite panel match referee Javagal Srinath along with BCCI general manager (cricket operations) MV Sridhar will inspect Ekana Sports City cricket stadium on Wednesday.

The newly-built Ekana Sports City cricket stadium may get the International Cricket Council (ICC) accreditation to host international matches. India’s ICC elite panel match referee Javagal Srinath along with BCCI general manager (cricket operations) MV Sridhar will inspect the stadium on Wednesday.

The Ekana Sports City cricket stadium is likely to get the International Cricket Council (ICC) accreditation to host international matches.(Subhankar Chakraborty/HT PHOTO)

“The two-member team will submit its report to the ICC. After getting the go ahead, the venue will be enlisted among the accredited venues of the world’s cricket body. Only then will the venue host international matches,” said an official of the UP Cricket Association.

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Former India speedster Srinath has also been nominated to inspect the new cricket venues in Assam and Kerala (Thiruvananthapuram). He will also visit Raipur for the same purpose as all the venues are already functional.

BCCI has already allocated Twenty20 internationals against Australia and Sri Lanka to both the venues in Assam and Kerala (Thiruvananthapuram) and that too without ICC accreditation.

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Meanwhile, sources confirmed that national selector Sarandeep Singh will be here to watch the performance of players during the India Blue vs India Green match (September 7 to 10). Besides Singh, chief batting coach at the National Cricket Academy, WV Raman, and spin bowling coach Narendra Hirwani will also be in Lucknow.