BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla defends Kanpur venue for Test cricket, but concedes need for upgradation

New Delhi [India], September 30 (ANI): The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president Rajeev Shukla came out in defence of facilities at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur, which has been under criticism during the second Test between India and Bangladesh.
Two days of the second Test were abandoned despite no rain on one of them during playing hours. Recently, former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali claimed that no Test should be played in Kanpur in the future.
Shukla defended the facilities of the "heritage ground" that its has been around for "80 years" and said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo, "Well, criticism is one thing which we are used to in the administration of the BCCI in cricket. But everything is being criticised," Shukla said on Monday. "When we are not giving matches to Kanpur because [of certain reasons], then also I was being criticised. Now we are giving the match, and I am still being criticised for why it has been given to Kanpur. So that goes on."
"You know the problem is that this ground is around 80 years old. It is our heritage ground. If you remember, it used to be a permanent Test centre. The original six permanent Test centres were Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, and Kanpur. This is a permanent centre. So, the whole idea was to have Test matches here. This is the first time in 80 years that it rained so much that we were not able to host the match for two days," he added.
There was little or no rain during the two days that were lost during the second Test. However, there was a subsequent amount of rain during the buildup of those days that didn't allow the game to take place.
Shukla stated that no match has been abandoned in Kanpur. He also emphasised that high-level technology wasn't in place when the stadium was built. But it is now being implemented in the ones that are being developed recently to deal with rainwater.
"The history suggests that no match has been abandoned here in Kanpur. There are many venues in the world where, because of the rains, matches have been abandoned. So, here if for two days the match couldn't take place, I don't think there should be too much hue and cry," Shukla said.
"When this ground was being built, and the stadium was being built, then those technologies were not available. 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 got high-tech, modern technology to take away the rainwater," he added.
The BCCI vice-president went on to reveal that there have been discussions around development in the stadium to tackle the issue of rainwater.
"Here also we are planning. Today I had a discussion with administration about how we can develop this system by which the rainwater can immediately be [drained]," Shukla noted.
As a result of the MoU with the UP government, the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) uses Green Park Stadium. The land is owned by the UP government, but based on the MOU, the UPCA is responsible for the upkeep of the venue.
"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. So, now for that, the ground has to be dug, new technology has to be applied, and everything has to be done," he said.
Shukla pointed out rain is a factor controlled by nature, so why should Kanpur and Green Park be "unnecessarily" blamed for it.
"So, immediately after coming here, I had a discussion with the authorities, and they are also on the same page, and I think we will be able to improve the conditions here shortly. Sometimes it happens, though we all pray to [the rain god] Lord Indra, not to rain, but, you know, it happens. And it happens throughout the world. So, why unnecessarily Kanpur and Green Park are being blamed for something that is in nature's hands?" Shukla remarked. (ANI)