DDCA still doubtful for ICC World T20

New Delhi: The fate of ICC World T20 matches — to be held at Feroz Shah Kotla ground here — hangs in balance with the Delhi High Court awaiting the municipality's response whether it can grant Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) a final occupancy certificate for the stadium.

A bench of justices S Muralidhar and Vibhu Bakhru on Monday asked South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) to come back with instructions on whether it can grant the certificate based on an undertaking by DDCA that it will ensure full compliance in three weeks.

The bench was of the view that "ultimately it is the safety of the stadium which will host the match, that is paramount".

It also observed that a conditional final occupancy certificate cannot be granted, adding that it does not want anyone to say later that something untoward happened there due to lack of compliances or due to some minor deviation.

"We should adhere to the highest standards," it said. The court made the observations after advocate Sangram Patnaik, appearing for Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA), told the bench that today was the last date for informing BCCI whether the stadium can be fixed as a venue as tickets would be sold globally from Tuesday.

"If today is the last date, you should have done it (compliances) by now. If you don't have a stadium prepared, how can you sell tickets? If tickets are sold under court orders and later stadium is found to be unsafe, then what happens? Tell BCCI to wait," the courts said.

Meanwhile, advocate Gaurang Kanth, appearing for SDMC, told the court that an occupancy certificate cannot be granted on the basis of an undertaking.

He said DDCA had given them the plans on February 5 and SDMC had inspected the stadium on February 6 when they found that only 40 per cent of the work of correcting deviations in the structure had been carried out.