New Zealand team to arrive in Hyderabad tomorrow for 1st Test

Hyderabad: The New Zealand cricket team will arrive here tomorrow for their first Test against India to be played from August 23 to 27, while hosts are likely to reach on Sunday.

The sale of tickets for the Test, which is scheduled to be played at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium (RGICS), would begin on August 19 at e-seva citizen service centres as well as online through Kyazoonga.Com, the Secretary of Hyderabad Cricket Association, M V Sridhar said today. Box office sale will take place at the Gymkhana ground at Secunderabad and also at RGICS, while schools and corporates can do bulk bookings. When asked whether the Telangana agitation, which is likely to be intensified around August 25, would cause any concern, Sridhar said that it is a national event beyond any regional biases. "This is a national event, cutting across any regional likes and dislikes. Since it is a Test match being hosted by Hyderabad on behalf of BCCI and international teams coming, we appeal to everyone to make it a grand success. It is a question of the city Hyderabad that is going to be on the world map." Alleging that players from Telangana region do not get adequate representation in Hyderabad team, pro-Telangana groups had earlier threatened to disrupt cricket matches played here. PTI