DDCA President confident of hosting final India-South Africa Test

Delhi is scheduled to host final India-SA Test starting on December 3

Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) President Sneh Prakash Bansal remains confident of hosting the fourth and final Test between India and South Africa at the Feroz Shah Kotla, reports ibnlive.

DDCA runs the risk of losing the chance to host the test as Pune was announced as a back-up venue by the BCCI after 13 DDCA members appeared before a three-member probe committee, where several mistakes made by the state cricket body was mentioned.

The state government also asked the DDCA to pay Rs 24.45 crore in entertainment taxes. But Bansal insisted that the match will take place in Delhi.

"We are very positive about the match happening at the Feroz Shah Kotla. We have got the backing of the government as well and are confident of making the November 17 deadline set by the BCCI," Bansal told PTI.

"Look, all this has been happening for the last five years. We are working towards our goals of getting things in order and we are very positive that things will be sorted out in time," he added.

Bansal’s comments comes on the back of several board members, including vice-president Chetan Chauhan appearing before the probe committee headed by Principal Secretary (Vigilance Department) Chetan Sanghi.

"In the meeting, the Committee pointed out the issue of DDCA facing multiple probes from different agencies of Central government - CBI, SFIO, Registrars of Companies (ROC).

"Besides, there are also four police complaints against the cricket body and it has not been able to get even competition certificate and structural safety certificate for the stadium from MCD," sources said.

Many former Delhi cricketers along with former India captain Bishen Singh Bedi met Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, seeking his help to clean up the DDCA.

The AAP government has asked a three-member committee to look into the allegations of corruption and submit their findings by November 14.

"Committee has also sought to know what the DDCA officials are doing for promotion of cricket in the capital when all these agencies of Centre are probing them and thus they are bringing a bad name to Delhi," sources said.

Bansal wasn’t too pleased with Bedi, as he said: "I have the highest regards for Mr. Bedi. I don't want to speak anything against him. But I believe they have presented the wrong picture in front of the Delhi CM.

"Our delegation met the Kejriwal-appointed probe committee yesterday and today again and tried to clear their doubts and place our side of the story in front of them. I believe that they are satisfied with what we had to explain.”

He also added that it is upto the BCCI and the government to come up with the final decision. "They said that they will revert back and also told us that some officials are going to meet BCCI President Shashank Manohar in Nagpur (on Saturday)” he said.

"The future of fourth South Africa-India match scheduled to be held at Feroz Shah Kotla stadium will depend on the report of the three-member committee and responses what the board members of DDCA gave to questions put by the probe panel today,” sources added.