Is Kanpur’s Green Park fit to host Test cricket? The answer is no. The BCCI’s rotation policy brought international cricket to Kanpur after a gap of three years, and the venue was not ready. Two-and-a-half days of play have been lost in this game. On Day 3, there wasn’t a drop of rain. But soggy patches on the outfield forced play to be called off.
Even without much action out there in the middle, this Test has been eventful. Ahead of the game, Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) chief executive Ankit Chatterjee told this correspondent that the local Public Works Department (PWD) had red-flagged the Block C balcony, as it was deemed unfit to take load. The enclosure has a total capacity of 4,800, but the UPCA could only sell around 1,100 tickets.
On Day 1, Tiger Robi, a Bangladeshi fan, who would later allege manhandling by a section of the local crowd, was seen standing on the Block C balcony, an area that was off limits for the fans. Robi then alleged that he faced violence and his national flag was snatched from him. He was sent to the hospital, where he changed his version and said he was suffering from dehydration.
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According to a BCCI insider, Robi has a dubious history. He created issues during the first Test in Chennai also, alleging that he was abused by the local fans. This was despite the fact that he couldn’t understand a word of Tamil. Even the Bangladeshi reporters, who have been covering the ongoing series, called him a “sensationalist” and an “attention-seeker”. Robi was deported from India.
Coming back to the damp-squib part, before the start of the match, some UPCA officials were lamenting the fact that the state association didn’t get to host international matches frequently. Now they are sounding apprehensive about Green Park’s international future.
Kanpur last hosted a Test in November 2021, against New Zealand. UPCA secretary Arvind Kumar Shrivastava told this correspondent how the elongated hiatus had a negative effect on everything – from outfield to drainage and floodlights. He also informed that the state association had to spend “Rs 3 crore” to renovate things.
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The problem is Green Park is not owned by the UPCA and every time a match is allotted here, it has to seek permission and clearances from the local municipal body. So the whole process is complicated. The government seemingly doesn’t see value in doing it for a centre where international fixtures are few and far between.
UPCA joint-secretary Riasat Ali made an honest confession. “This is an old ground,” he said. “The cleaning process of the entire drainage system was done a month before the Test. But unlike the new stadiums, we don’t have a modern drainage system. Also, rain at this time of the year was unexpected. We weren't prepared for the eventuality.”
This takes us to Virat Kohli’s comment in 2019, that “five strong centres” should be reserved for home Test series. “We have been discussing this for a long time now, and in my opinion we should have five Test centres, period,” Kohli had said.
The BCCI, though, has a democratic approach in terms of allotting matches to its affiliated units. But maybe, the game’s governing body should think about whether venues like Green Park – historic but not modern – meet the standard to host Test matches. White-ball internationals can be rotated between smaller centres.
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