Delhi And District Cricket Association Gets One Day Extension to Get Clearance For Hosting India-Sri Lanka Twenty20

The faction-ridden Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) on Thursday got one-day extension from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after filing a petition in Delhi High Court for procuring the requisite compliance certificates required to host the Twenty20 International against Sri Lanka on February 12. (Delhi And District Cricket Association to Move Court For Sri Lanka Twenty20I)

"Since the hearing of our plea in Delhi High Court is tomorrow afternoon, we have been granted a single day's extension till the Honourable court gives its directive," DDCA treasurer Ravinder Manchanda said.

"Meanwhile, we have already prepared the Demand Draft for paying lease amount of Rs 83 lakh as a part of assessment done by Land & Development office that comes under Urban Development ministry," he said.

He also said that DDCA top brass had "fruitful meetings" with Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung and Urban development minister Venkaiah Naidu.

"We requested Mr Naidu to help us procure the NoC as we will be submitting the lease fee of Rs 83 lakh tomorrow," he added.

Earlier, DDCA moved the Delhi High Court seeking directions to the municipal corporation to issue them a provisional occupancy certificate.

The matter was mentioned before a bench of justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Sanjeev Sachdeva which listed the matter for hearing tomorrow before the appropriate court.

Advocate Sangram Pattnaik, appearing for DDCA, mentioned the application and sought an urgent hearing saying if the cricketing body does not get all the clearances for the match, then BCCI could shift the venue from Ferozshah Kotla.

On November 18 last year, the high court had paved the way for DDCA to hold a India-South Africa test match at the stadium by directing the South Delhi Municipal Corporation to issue a provisional occupancy certificate.

The court while issuing the direction had also said that DDCA was to get all necessary clearances from the Delhi Urban Arts Commission and Archaeological Survey of India and no objection certificate from Land and Development Office and completion certificate from SDMC by March 31.

SDMC had earlier told the court, there was no provision under the law to issue a provisional occupancy certificate and said DDCA had got an interim relief from the court 13 times in the past, despite not making any effort to obtain the requisite clearances.

In April 2015, the court had allowed DDCA to hold IPL matches between April 12 to May 1 at the Ferozeshah Kotla by asking SDMC to issue a POC to the association.