Cricket Association of Bengal President assures Pakistan Cricket team special security for their 2023 World Cup matches in Kolkata

Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Snehasish Ganguly has recently stated that there will be special security arrangements for the Pakistan Cricket Team for their 2023 ODI World Cup matches at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Ganguly said that Kolkata is the first preference by Pakistan to play their World Cup matches, followed by Bengaluru and Chennai.

It is noted that the schedule for the upcoming marquee event was announced by the Cricket Governing Body on June 27th. The 1992 World Cup Champions are scheduled to play a couple of matches in Kolkata, one against Bangladesh on October 31st and the second game against the defending champions England on November 12th.

However, they will play their most important match of the tournament against their arch-rivals and the hosts India at the largest cricket stadium in the world: Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 15th. Earlier, there were speculations that Pakistan may propose to change the venue for a match against India due to security concerns. In the 2016 T20 World Cup, the venue for India-Pakistan was changed from Dharamshala to Kolkata.

“I am very confident about hosting the matches. Special security arrangements will be there for Pakistan. I think Pakistan has played previously in Kolkata. I don’t know the inside story. But their first preference is Kolkata, followed by Chennai and Bengaluru,” Ganguly was quoted as saying by Sportskeeda.

“I have faith on Kolkata Police. The security system will be tighter than the normal matches. I have also faith on CM Mamata Banerjee and administration,” the CAB President further added.

The Eden Gardens is scheduled to host a total of five matches in the upcoming tournament, including the second semi-final on November 16th. The venue will also host India when they will take on South Africa on November 5th. Ganguly thanked the Indian Cricket Board Secretary Jay Shah for presenting the opportunity to CAB to host important matches and also assured fans of good matches.

‘I have been working for the good matches’ – Snehasish Ganguly

“We are satisfied. I really want to thank Jay Shah, Indian Cricket Board and the Apex Cricket Council. I was working for the last 4 months. I have been working for the good matches. We show the designs and everything. We have got the best ground in the IPL. We never had a question mark about this,” Ganguly said.

“So a lot of plus-minus includes in these kinds of decisions. Jay Shah promised to give me good matches. I thanked Mr Jay Shah and India Cricket Board that they have a good perspective about Eden Gardens,” he added.