An opponent of Canterbury Cricket's application to upgrade Hagley Oval to international standards says organisers of the 2015 World Cup are going too far to try to influence an Environment Court decision.
New Zealand and Australia will jointly host 49 matches over 44 days during February and March 2015.
Christchurch's hosting rights are dependent on planning approval being given for the further redevelopment of Hagley Park by the court. A decision on that is expected in August this year.
Hagley Oval has been chosen to launch the World Cup series on 14 February 2015 with the opening ceremony and first game in which New Zealand will play Sri Lanka.
New Zealand's World Cup organisers say although the upgrade is yet to be approved, they couldn't wait for the Environment Court's ruling and Canterbury Cricket chief executive Lee Germon says it's important for the city to be able to showcase the progress of its rebuild.
Martin Meehan, a spokesperson for the group Hands Off Hagley, says he's not surprised by the decision to award a match to the ground, but is sceptical of the organisers' tactics.
Mr Meehan believes they are ringing people's emotional bells by giving the South Island city the opening game - eight days before the anniversary of the devastating February 2011 earthquake - and have gone too far to try to influence the court.
"As far as I can see it's still the same thing: It's either Hagley Park for cricket or Hagley Park for the people."
New Zealand will host 23 matches during the World Cup. Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Napier, Hamilton and Nelson all get pool matches.
Wellington will also get a quarter-final and Auckland a semifinal. The final will be played at the MCG in Melbourne on 29 March 2015.
