DDCA row: Delhi govt to scuttle World Twenty20 games at Kotla?

New Delhi: Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) on Thursday claimed Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) would not allow it to host World Twenty20 matches in the wake of the ongoing tussle between them.

Feroz Shah Kotla is slated to host four men’s matches and six women’s matches.

According to a report in the Hindustan Times, the cricket association fears that the state government will create problems in issuing clearance certificates for fire safety and electrical issues among other things.

Even the issue of entertainment tax could be a sticking point and DDCA believes it might have to knock on the high court's door again.

“We have come to know through a source in the Delhi government that the DDCA will not be given clearance certificates for fire safety, electrical and entertainment tax. Since all these issues fall under the state government, the AAP is trying to play spoilsport again. They applied similar tactics before the India-South Africa Test at the Ferozeshah Kotla, and this time around too we are apprehensive of a similar scenario. If the issue worsens, we will seek the court’s help like we did during the Test. Justice (Retd) Mukul Mudgal is the observer, and if need be, we will again go to him for help,” DDCA treasurer Ravinder Manchanda told HT.

Similar problems emerged ahead of the fourth and final Test between India and South Africa.

The match was finally conducted after the High Court intervened and appoint Justice Mudgal as observer for the Test.