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Kotla stadium banned for one year for dangerous pitch

CHENNAI - No international cricket will be staged at New Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla stadium for one year after a one-day international was abandoned in the Indian capital last month due to a dangerous pitch.

The stadium will, however, still host the four matches it was scheduled to stage during the World Cup, to be jointly hosted with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh from Feb. 19 to April 2, next year.

“Following the conclusion of a full investigation into the circumstances that led to the abandonment...the ICC confirms that no international cricket will be played at the New Delhi ground until the end of December 2010,” the International Cricket Council (icc-cricket.yahoo.net) said on its website on Thursday.

The fifth and final ODI between Sri Lanka and India at the stadium was called off after 23.3 overs due to a dangerous pitch upon which the tourists had struggled to 83 for five.

Match referee Alan Hurst classified the pitch unfit, the worst of six possible categories, attracting a suspension of the status to host international matches for a period between 12-24 months.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India’s response, along with the match footage was reviewed by the ICC’s chief referee Ranjan Madugalle, and the governing body’s cricket operations manager Dave Richardson.

“As part of its investigation, the ICC received a submission from the BCCI assuring it that no international match is scheduled and therefore no international match will be played at the ground until the end of 2010,” the statement said.

“Keeping this in mind, the ICC has decided to endorse this action on the part of BCCI as part of its concluding report.”

ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat expressed confidence that the venue would be ready in time for the World Cup.

“Let’s not forget, this ground is one of the world’s iconic venues and it’s imperative it stages matches during what is the game’s biggest tournament,” he said.