Regardless of a rain-free morning and shiny sunshine later within the day, day three’s play of the second Check between India and Bangladesh was referred to as off with out a ball being bowled on the Inexperienced Park Stadium. The surprising trigger? A ‘moist outfield’. Frustration grew as each groups remained at their resort, whereas match officers inspected the sphere 3 times, all with out covers. However there was no play, main to 2 days now misplaced attributable to rain. Shiv Kumar, the pitch curator of the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Affiliation (UPCA) maintained that the whole lot was below management in Kanpur. However he admitted to having confusion relating to the match officers’ reservations. “They gave us three completely different time for inspection however by no means advised us what’s the problem. Which space was moist or no matter is the issue. I advised them you could begin the match however when you have any concern let me know,” he advised IANS.
With the morning and lunch classes already misplaced, match referee Jeff Crowe carried out a number of inspections, however the soggy patches on the sphere, significantly within the deep mid-wicket space close to Pavilion C, left him unhappy.
The damp 30-yard circle additionally continued to concern, resulting in the push of the pitch inspection to 2pm. Crowe, alongside reserve umpire Virender Sharma and TV umpire Rod Tucker, insisted on additional delays, hoping for daylight to dry the affected areas earlier than permitting play to renew.
Earlier than the third inspection which was scheduled at 2pm, a senior floor official advised IANS that the match officers wished floor to dry up with pure gentle however have been by no means advised concerning the actual space of moist patch.
“Match officers have requested us to attend for the pure gentle then solely we are able to proceed the play. The pitch and one other a part of the bottom are completely good, there are specific areas of concern however we are able to begin the play.”
“In the event that they need to look ahead to the daylight, then they need to have given the subsequent inspection time at 1pm, as a result of just a little daylight is all the time right here which is able to dry the involved space in an hour. Now we have already misplaced two classes, subsequent inspection at 2pm will lead us to name off the match,” a floor official working on the stadium advised IANS.
Spectators travelling from completely different components of the state confirmed their frustration with the bottom amenities at Inexperienced Park, leaving them disheartened and wanting UPCA to take excellent care of one of many oldest stadiums within the nation, which has been internet hosting Check cricket since 1952.
“I’m deeply feeling unhealthy, Inexperienced Park is among the oldest stadiums and we received a Check match after three years. The sport ought to have continued for all 5 days, It is the UPCA and the match organizers, who ought to be blamed. They don’t seem to be taking correct care of it. We’re coming from completely different components of the state and investing cash to look at the match however of what use,” stated a fan from Fatehpur.
One other fan from Kanpur stated, “Ye Inexperienced Park ko kuch ni milna chahie, yahan sab gadbad chal raha hai. Mahaul aisa banate hain jaise kitni suvidhaein hain however they can not even conduct a match on a day when it was a correct sunny. Inexperienced Park should not get a match, I’m comfortable to journey to Lucknow or Varanasi however not Inexperienced Park.”
The groups had performed solely 35 overs in all the match thus far, with Bangladesh standing at 107 for 3. The delay has sparked contemporary criticism of the stadium’s drainage system, with questions raised on its readiness to host worldwide video games.
When rain hampered the proceedings on day one, floor employees labored to dry the floor by utilizing sawdust and protecting the sphere, however the efforts have been futile. Even with 75 groundsmen working tirelessly, the moist patches stubbornly remained, disappointing the 1000’s of spectators within the stands, who’ve been desirous to witness a Check match.
This is not the primary time such points have emerged. Reminiscences of the latest Check between Afghanistan and New Zealand in Higher Noida got here flooding again—when poor outfield situations led to the match being deserted with out a ball being bowled earlier this month.
The venue director, Sanjay Kapoor, assured earlier than the sport began that, “We assure a five-day match right here on the Inexperienced Park Stadium and we have now ensured that the whole lot is in place. We’re ready for rain however I guarantee you even when rain comes we are going to begin the sport in an hour or two.”
The BCCI sources have urged to IANS that the Inexperienced Park Stadium may lose out on internet hosting future worldwide matches, with Lucknow’s Ekana Stadium—a state-of-the-art facility with superior infrastructure—rising as a most popular various.
Ekana Stadium has already hosted a Check match between Afghanistan and the West Indies, aside from being a house floor of Lucknow Tremendous Giants within the IPL and internet hosting 2023 Males’s ODI World Cup video games. It’s all set to host the upcoming Irani Cup recreation between Remainder of India and Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai from October 1-5.
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