On Monday, Rajiv Shukla, the Vice President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and an active member of the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA), announced that the association is currently negotiating with the state authorities for a major upgrade of the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur. This venue is presently hosting the ongoing Test match between India and Bangladesh.
The initiative for this upgrade comes in response to a significant inconvenience experienced during Days 2 and 3 of the Test match, where play was halted due to heavy rainfall. Although Saturday experienced only minor drizzles and there was no rainfall on Sunday, the wet outfield prevented a single ball from being bowled across both days.
“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?” said Shukla on the sidelines of the second Test. He acknowledged the unusual weather conditions, noting that it was the first such occurrence in eighty years.
“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 around the world where matches have been abandoned due to rain. When this ground was being built, technologies were not available. Now, modern technologies exist. Like in our Lucknow stadium, we have advanced technology, and in Varanasi, we are building another stadium with high-tech, modern technology to manage water drainage.”
Shukla revealed that immediate steps are being taken to address the issue. “Today I had a discussion with the administration on how we can develop a system to quickly soak up the rainwater. Immediately after coming here, I had a discussion with the authorities, and we are all on the same page. We will improve the conditions here shortly.”
He elaborated that the Green Park Stadium, being a government-owned facility, requires extensive coordination with state authorities.
. “The moment I came here, I had a long discussion with government officials because this stadium belongs to the government. We are in agreement with them. Now, for that, the ground has to be dug up, new technology has to be applied, and everything has to be done.”
Shukla dismissed the increasing criticism directed at Green Park for the rain-induced cancellations, explaining that, unlike some newer venues, it lacks advanced drainage systems that can rapidly clear water off the field. He also defended the UPCA’s strategic decision to allocate its premier matches to more modern stadiums such as the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow over recent years. However, he underscored the importance of spreading cricket matches across different locations to engage a wider audience.
Addressing the importance of geographical inclusivity, Shukla emphasized, “We have to go by the rotation policy. Also, India has now a lot more venues, which Australia and other countries don’t. We need to provide opportunities for all of them.”
Shukla lamented that cities frequented by IPL, WPL, World Cup matches, and bilateral series often suffer from dwindling spectator numbers due to an oversaturation of events. “In those cities where people see a lot of matches, the number of spectators goes down because people get used to watching these T20 and one-day matches. This idea was to organize Test matches in B-grade cities where we have infrastructure to attract more people to watch cricket.”
He highlighted the enthusiastic turnout in Kanpur, a city that rarely hosts Test matches. “Look here in Kanpur; it’s almost packed. And even on the last two days when it rained, a lot of people turned up to watch the match. That means there is an appetite; people are eager to watch cricket.”
The UPCA’s concerted efforts to enhance Green Park’s facilities underscore its dedication to maintaining its rich cricketing heritage while preparing for future challenges. The proposed upgrades reflect a commitment to leveraging advanced technology to provide the best cricketing experiences to local and visiting spectators alike.