"Why unnecessarily Kanpur and Green Park are being blamed?" - Rajeev Shukla confirms talks underway to upgrade the stadium
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president Rajeev Shukla feels that the recent criticism towards Green Park in Kanpur is not justified. The venue has attracted a lot of scrutiny after half of the second Test between India and Bangladesh was washed out due to rain and a poor drainage system.
Several blamed the BCCI for assigning the contest to Green Park when several other venues could have been considered. Another section blamed the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) for not maintaining and upgrading the stadium. The two washed-out days could prove costly for India should they not manage to yield a result in the remaining time.
Rajeev Shukla, who is also a UPCA member and a former president of the state association, maintained that the unrelenting weather conditions were to be blamed for the situation rather than the venue.
"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 told the media during the ongoing second Test between India and Bangladesh.
Shukla further stated that he has been in talks with the government to introduce modern facilities into the stadium, and added that such major renovation will take a while to be completed.
"Today I had a discussion with administration on how we can develop this 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 and I think we will be able to improve the conditions here shortly. We will get some time to improve the conditions of the ground and that work will be picked up," Shukla said.
The moment I came here, I had a long discussion with government officials because this stadium belongs to government. We are in agreement with them. So, now for that, ground has to be dug up, new technology has to be applied and everything has to be done," he added.
The Green Park has hosted 22 Tests, 15 ODIs, and one T20I to date, but has lost out to modern venues in recent times. The Ekana Stadium in Lucknow has claimed the spotlight since its unveiling, eventually becoming the home ground of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). The state is also slated to get another ground, with talks underway to build a venue in Varanasi in time for the 2026 T20 World Cup.
"We have to provide opportunities for all of them" - Rajeev Shukla defends rotation policy amid designated Test centre chatter
The circumstances surrounding the Test in Kanpur has reignited talks of India potentially embracing the Test centre policy. Former India skipper Virat Kohli had advocated for the same in his reign, but the complexity and the vast network of associations in the country makes it a tricky task.
We have to go by the rotation policy. 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. Look here (in Kanpur), it's almost packed. And even 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," Shukla concluded his discussion with the media.
After two days of inactivity in Kanpur, the improved weather conditions prompted play to resume on Day 4. At stumps, Bangladesh are 26-2, trailing by 26 runs heading into the final day of the series.