LIGHTNING has struck at the same place twice! It has happened two times in the same year that an international cricket match, initially allotted to Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium (VCA), Jamtha, has been shifted to another venue by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) without giving any reason. Jamtha was to host fourth match of the five-game Twenty20 series against the newly-crowned 50-over world champs Australia, on December one. In the latest tour itinerary released by BCCI late on Monday night, it is Raipur that is hosting that match. It came as a rude shock for Nagpur fans who have been already robbed of any World Cup game action this time. In 2011, Jamtha staged as many as four World Cup games, including the marquee India versus South Africa match. The richest cricket board works on its whims and fancies, it seems.

 

Earlier in the year, Jamtha was all set to host New Zealand in a One-Day International match. With the reasons best known to BCCI, that match was also shifted to Raipur. This has been the second instance in one year that BCCI has played with sentiments of Orange City cricket aficionados. The Australia T20 series commences with first match scheduled to be held at Visakhapatnam on November 23. It is gathered that VCA had dug up major portion of the ground for overhauling drainage work. Its top officials, who sounded confident of completing the work on time and hosting the international game saying, “It is a moment of pride to host an international match and why would we let the opportunity go,” did not pick phone even after repeated calls.