 England's World Cup campaign now looks likely to open in Bangalore
England's 2011 World Cup match against India could now take place in Bangalore after it was ruled that Kolkata's Eden Gardens will not be ready in time. The Indian cricket board (BCCI) has recommended the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium as an alternative for the Group B tie. It will be the second World Cup match for both teams and is scheduled to be played on 27 February. Kolkata was originally scheduled to host four group games during the World Cup, which begins on 19 February. But International Cricket Council (ICC) inspectors ruled on Thursday that Kolkata's Eden Gardens stadium will not be ready in time for the high-profile encounter between the co-hosts and England. There are 13 host venues at the tournament and Edens Gardens was one of five stadiums that required a final inspection. The other four were approved, subject to minor finishing work to be completed within 14 days.  | 606: DEBATE |
"Of particular concern was the fact that host venue obligations in relation to cricket operations, media, broadcast and sponsorship facilities were not finalized and/or confirmed by the venue," read an ICC statement on Eden Gardens. The stadium in Kolkata is also scheduled to host Ireland's matches against South Africa (15 March) and the Netherlands (18 March) and Kenya's encounter with Zimbabwe on 20 March - but none of those ties are as prestigious as an India-England encounter. Eden Gardens, which held 90,000 before renovation, has staged 22 one-day internationals, including the 1987 World Cup final when Australia beat England. The 2011 tournament will be co-hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Beggars in the Bangladesh city of Chittagong will be paid to stay off the streets during the tournament. Mayor Manzurul Alam has revealed that up to 300 physically disabled beggars will receive up to 150 takas (£1.33) a day. "Initially, it will continue for three months till end of April," Alam said. "We are planning to permanently rehabilitate them after that."
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