Decision on shifting England`s match venue tomorrow: MCA

Mumbai: The Cricket Board is tomorrow expected to decide on the request made by Mumbai Cricket Association to shift the second tour game of the England cricket team from BKC Ground to DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

"I`m meeting the BCCI chief (N Srinivasan) tomorrow (to discuss the matter). I`m confident the Board would agree to the change in venue," said MCA president Ravi Savant today. Savant continued to maintain his stand that the MCA`s BKC ground lacked facilities for holding such an important game, scheduled from November 3-5. "The BKC ground does not have facilities like toilets for the spectators. There are no catering facilities around the ground. And the fence is not tall or strong enough to prevent the crowd from jumping on to the ground," he said. The Mumbai police, too, are sceptical about the security in and around the place, Sawant said adding that provisional bookings have been done at hotels in Navi Mumbai to accommodate the players. England are to reach Mumbai on October 29 and will prepare for the four-Test series -- considered a grudge rubber by India after their 0-4 rout in the last away series -- by playing three warm-up tour games -- two in Mumbai and the third in Ahmedabad, venue of the opening match of the rubber. England`s tour opener is scheduled from October 30 to November 1 at the Cricket Club of India`s Brabourne Stadium and the third game is to be held on a ground, just outside the Sardar Patel Stadium at Motera from November 8-11. The opening Test is scheduled at the Motera main stadium from November 15-19 with the subsequent Tests scheduled in Mumbai, Kolkata (Dec 5-9) and Nagpur (Dec 13-17). England would play two T20 Internationals against India on December 20 (Pune) and December 22 (Mumbai) prior to departing home for the Christmas and New Year break, before returning to play in a five-match ODI series in January 2013. PTI