Because the drainage system on the Inexperienced Park drew flak following the abandonment of second- and third-day’s play, the BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla stated that efforts are being taken to enhance the services on the iconic stadium.
“Quickly after reaching Kanpur in the present day, I had a dialogue with the officers of the state authorities, for the reason that floor belongs to them, and mentioned the highway forward. And, hopefully, we will get issues sorted quickly,” Shukla stated on Monday.
In-built 1945, the Inexperienced Park has been internet hosting Take a look at matches since 1952 and has thus far hosted 23 red-ball worldwide fixtures. The stadium belongs to Uttar Pradesh authorities’s Sports activities Directorate, which leased it out to the UPCA following a Memorandum of Understanding. As per the MoU, the directorate prices Rs 1.25 crore per yr as hire. Regardless that the stadium underwent renovation just a few years in the past, the drainage system, clearly, wasn’t improved.
Shukla, nevertheless, blamed it on torrential rain that continued for 3 days in a row. “That is an previous floor and was among the many 5 everlasting Take a look at centres. That is the primary time in 80 years that we couldn’t have any play for 2 days. However as historical past suggests, no match has been deserted right here,” Shukla stated.
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“It’s simply that as a consequence of a lot rain, there was a little bit of dampness. However there shouldn’t be hue and cry as a result of when this floor was constructed, there was no expertise. We now have a contemporary stadium in Lucknow and are additionally constructing a stadium in Varanasi with hi-tech, fashionable expertise. Right here, too, we’re having conversations with the authorities by way of creating a system to soak the rainwater instantly,” Shukla stated, including: “However such a factor like this had by no means occurred in Inexperienced Park, and this time, we suffered…”
With Bangladesh’s star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan that includes in his penultimate Take a look at – which might ultimately turn into his final if he doesn’t play in opposition to South Africa at residence subsequent month as he had desired – there have been speculations that Shakib may very well be felicitated by the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Affiliation.
However Shukla stated, “We had been underneath the impression that Shakib will play his final sport at residence subsequent month. Formally, nothing has been knowledgeable to us about his retirement. If we hear something formally, we will certainly assume over it…”
Requested whether or not the Indian workforce will journey to Pakistan for Champions Trophy 2025, the board’s vice-president stated that they will abide by the federal government’s directives and take a call accordingly.