ICC Match Referee Javagal Srinath to inspect the new venues in India

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has nominated Javagal Srinath, India’s ICC Elite Panel Match Referee, to inspect the new cricket venues Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram. Srinath will visit both the venues for the inspection. The stadiums have been allotted the matches by BCCI for T20 Internationals against Australia and Sri Lanka.

No venue can stage an International match without acquiring the clearance from ICC. The former India fast bowler, Srinath’s schedule will be planned soon by the BCCI’s GM, Cricket Operations, MV Sridhar. BCCI has always remained confident of acquiring the clearance from ICC as both the venues are functional according to them.

The latest development must have been a huge relief for BCCI as a failure in acquiring the ICC clearance would have led to embarrassment for the Indian board.

BCCI preferring the new venues for home season

BCCI, off late, has been preferring the new venues to extend the game across the country. In the recently concluded grand home season in which India played a whopping 13 Tests, 8 ODIs and 3 T20Is, six new stadiums debuted as Test venues. The venues included Rajkot, Vishakhapatnam, Pune, Dharamsala, Ranchi and Indore which hosted Test series against New Zealand, England, Australia and Bangladesh.

India currently is in Sri Lanka playing an ODI series against them which will be followed by a one off T20I. Once India comes back from the island nation, another grand home season awaits them albeit this time they will play a lot more limited-overs matches. Men in blue are scheduled to play 11 ODIs, 9 T20Is and 3 Tests against Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram are expected to get clearance from ICC and would then only be able to host the international matches.