International Cricket Council event manager Chris Tetley, who led the four-member ICC venue inspection team, said he was impressed with the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Divisional Stadium in Chittagong city’s Sagarika area yesterday.
Tetley was speaking at a press briefing at MA Aziz Stadium after inspecting the two stadiums, following visits to Dhaka, Narayangonj and Shylhetas part of the ICC’s venue inspection programme for the World T20 Championship-2014 to be hosted by Bangladesh next year.
“Bangladesh will host the T20 world championship next year and we are happy with the preparation in Chittagong,” said Tetley.
The ICC team of Tetley, chief pitch curator Andi Atkinson, stadium mentor Van Lue Jin and tournament director Dhiraj Malhotra, along with Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) ad-hoc committee members Mahbub Anam, Lokman Hossain Bhuiyan, AJM Nasir Uddin and Venue Manager Fazle Bari Khan Rubel went to the divisional stadium at around noon.
The inspection team was informed about construction progress on the stadium’s structures like the drainage system, dressing rooms and media box. Andi Atkinson also examined the ground.
Later, the team also visited MA Aziz Stadium as practice matches would be held there during the World Cup.
As the venue was used for World Cup matches before, the ICC are familiar with it, said Tetley, adding that his team had given some requirements for the venue which needed to be fulfilled during their previous inspection and these have been satisfied comfortably before the September 30 deadline.
Another ICC inspection team will visit the venues in October, said Mahbub Anam.
AJM Nasir said that they are trying to increase the number of practice match in MA Aziz Stadium.
Meanwhile Cox’s Bazar, the venue for the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 2014, also got the green signal from the ICC delegates. The visitors visited the under construction site and informed to be satisfied with the work in progress.
“We were here previously too. The progress of the work is really impressive and we are satisfied,” said ICC event manager Chris Tetley.
However the work to the newest cricketing venue of Bangladesh needs to be finished by October this year informed Tetley.
