In a significant development for cricket enthusiasts, Rajiv Shukla, the Vice President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), announced on Monday that the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) is in the process of negotiating with the state government to upgrade the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur. This discussion is particularly timely, as the venerable venue is currently hosting the ongoing Test match between India and Bangladesh.
The urgency of these talks has been underscored by recent events at the stadium. Persistent rainfall resulted in the abandonment of play on both Day 2 and Day 3 of the match. While Saturday saw a few minor spells of drizzle, Sunday remained completely dry. Nonetheless, due to a wet outfield, not a single ball was bowled across the two days, adding fuel to the urgency for better ground management solutions.
“Sometimes it happens, though we all pray to Lord Indra, that it should not rain, but, you know, it happens. And it happens throughout the world. So, why unnecessarily Kanpur and Green Park are being blamed for something which is in nature’s hand?” Shukla stated, defending the iconic stadium’s reputation during the second Test’s press conference.
Defending the venue further, Shukla added, “This is the first time in 80 years that it has rained so much that we were not able to host the match for two days. But history suggests that no match has been abandoned here. There are many venues worldwide where matches have been abandoned due to rain. The technologies were not available when this ground was being built.”
Highlighting advancements in technology, Shukla cited other stadiums in Uttar Pradesh as examples. “Now technologies are available. Like in our Lucknow stadium, we have got that technology. And in Varanasi, we are building another stadium. There we have high-tech, modern technology to take away the water.”
The conversation also covered actionable plans to address these issues promptly. “Today, I had a discussion with the administration on how we can develop a system by which the rainy water can immediately be soaked. Immediately after coming here (Green Park), I had a discussion with the authorities, and they are also on the same page. I think we will be able to improve the conditions here shortly.
. The moment I came, I had a long discussion with government officials because this stadium belongs to the government. We are in agreement with them. So now, for that, the ground has to be dug up, new technology applied, and everything redone,” Shukla elaborated.
The focus on upgrading Green Park is aimed at ensuring that it remains a viable venue despite UPCA’s recent preference for Lucknow’s more modern Ekana Stadium for high-profile matches. Until now, Kanpur has hosted only two Test matches in the last eight years. Shukla brushed off criticisms about the stadium’s inability to handle weather-related interruptions, reaffirming the association’s commitment to diversifying the locations hosting Test cricket across the country.
“We have to go by the rotation policy,” he said. “Also, India has got now a lot many venues, which Australia and other countries don’t have. And we have to provide opportunities for all of them.”
Shukla further elaborated on the necessity of spreading cricket matches across various locations, even those less frequently considered. “Sometimes what happens is that those cities where people get to see a lot many matches… IPL is also there, and then WPL is also there, then World Cup is also there, bilateral matches are also there. So, the number of spectators goes down in those cities, because people are used to watching, you know, these T20 and one-day cricket and all that. So, that’s why this idea was floated that in B-grade cities, where we have got infrastructure, we should organize Test matches so that more and more people are attracted to it.”
Emphasizing Kanpur’s strong cricket following, Shukla affirmed, “Look here (in Kanpur), it’s almost packed. And even in the last two days when there were rains, a lot of people turned up to watch the match. That means there is appetite. People are eager to watch cricket.”
As the talks progress, cricket fans are hopeful that these upgrades will soon make Green Park a state-of-the-art facility, capable of hosting matches regardless of weather conditions, ensuring uninterrupted cricketing action for years to come.