HC rejects DDCA's plea to use RP Mehra block for World T20

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday refused to entertain a plea filed by the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) seeking permission to use the R.P. Mehra block at the Ferozshah Kotla Stadium for conducting the World Twenty20 semifinal.

A division bench of Justices S. Muralidhar and Justice Vibhu Bakhru said it had no "control" over the International Cricket Council's (ICC) stand on lack of completion certificate for the block even as the DDCA contended that it could lead to shifting of the semifinal to another venue.

The court told the DDCA to instead to sort the matter out with the ICC.

Justice Mudgal, appointed by the high court to oversee the functioning of the DDCA, has asked the cricketing body not to sell tickets of the semi-final for the R.P. Mehra block, which has an around 2,000 capacity. The court also said that it should be used only by the broadcasters and the media.

The ICC's stand was that if any of the blocks remain vacant, then the semi-final would be shifted to other venue, senior advocate Sandeep Sethi, representing the DDCA, told the court.

The DDCA had moved the court seeking to a direction to South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) to issue the requisite certificate for the R.P. Mehra block saying tickets have already been sold for the block.

But, the court said: "We cannot give you the permission. It has to be in terms of the earlier order passed by this court (that had said no permission without all the requisite clearances)".

The DDCA, then, withdraw the petition from the court saying it would instead make appropriate representation to authorities on the issue.