India vs WI ODI likely to be shifted from Indore

BCCI-MPCA spar over free tickets

The second One-Dayer between India and West Indies on October 24 could be shifted out of Indore due to a tussle between BCCI and Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) for complimentary passes.

BCCI logo. Photograph: Reuters

As per new BCCI constitution, 90 per cent tickets of the total capacity of the stadium should be put on public sale which effectively means 10 per cent of complimentary tickets left with state units.

In this case, the Holkar stadium has capacity to accommodate 27,000 fans and MPCA will be left with 2700 complimentary tickets.

The BCCI also demands its share of free passes for its sponsors and thus the bone of contention.

"The managing committee of MPCA has decided that it is not possible to organise the second ODI between India and West Indies in Indore if BCCI doesn't back down from its demand of complimentary tickets. We have intimated BCCI,'' MCA joint secretary Milind Kanmadikar told PTI today.

"We cannot accept BCCI's demand for hospitality tickets. We have only 7000 seats in the pavilion (hospitality) gallery and going by 10 percent, we would be left with only 700 seats. Now if we give five percent of that, we are left with only 350 hospitality tickets,'' Kanmadikar said.

"Even we have to cater demands of our members, various government agencies. We also have only 10 percent complimentaries in our state unit's constitution but from that we can give the amount (five percent from each gallery) BCCI wants,'' he said.

The clamour for free passes during international games has always been an issue with BCCI affiliated units but BCCI brass termed it as ''blackmailing tactic'' from Kanmadikar.

''We don't want to shift the match from Indore but if they create issues we have to prepare an alternate venue. This is pure blackmailing tactic from Kanmadikar,'' a senior BCCI official said.

The official also suggested that the issue is not that of tickets but something else.

''During India's tour of West Indies in 2017, Milind Kanmadikar was supposed to be the administrative manager but CoA chief Vinod Rai scuttled it as he felt that it was a glorified junket for state unit officials. Kanmadikar has not forgotten that slight and this is his way of getting back,'' the official said.

However, another BCCI official said that it would be inappropriate to insinuate that Kanmadikar is settling scores with the CoA for the scuttled West Indies tour.

"Please check the record. Indore has hosted two international matches after Kanmadikar's West Indies tour was stalled by the CoA. It is not appropriate to level this kind of allegation against a senior state unit official," the official said.

It has also been learnt that all the units that are hosting matches in the West Indies series are finding it difficult to figure out how they can manage with 10 per cent complimentary passes if BCCI happens to demand 5 per cent of that allocation.