‘Official glitch’ hits Cooch Behar Trophy tie hard
LUCKNOW: The U-19 teams of hosts and defending champions Uttar Pradesh and Delhi on Saturday paid the price for an alleged lastminute ‘reshuffle of venues’ in Kanpur as just 17 minutes of play was possible on the first day of the four-day Cooch Behar Trophy.
The playing conditions at the UP Cricket Association-owned Kamla Club Ground were ‘not up to the mark’ on Saturday and the entire ground staff as well as match officials including match referee Fazil Mohammad, were busy getting the pitch and outfield dry.
UPCA bosses allegedly changed the venue ‘on their own’ and chose to hold the match at the Green Park Stadium even though the match was originally scheduled at the Kamla Club Ground. They didn’t even seek any permission from the BCCI, and this was exposed by the match officials when they landed in the industrial town on Friday morning. Since all arrangements were made at the Green Park Stadium, the Kamla Club Ground was left unattended and the pitch as well as the outfield remained wet due to rain over the last two days.
The entire UPCA machinery swung into action when the match officials decided to go ahead with the actual venue of the match at the Kamla Club Ground, but it was too late to make things right.
After the ground covers were rushed to the venue from Green Park on Friday afternoon, the Super Sopper as well as the machine to ensure proper drainage of water could be shifted to the venue minutes before the start of the match on Saturday morning. The 22-yard strip could be made playable only after tea when groundsmen used irons and other methods to get it dry.
“It was a blunder on the part of a senior UPCA official, who had shifted the venue on his own. He should have asked for permission and intimations of this shifting had to be given to everyone concerned,” a senior UPCA functionary said on the condition of anonymity. “This act would certainly draw the attention of the BCCI as the match referee would be mentioning this in his report to the cricket board,” he said.
Meanwhile, UPCA’s secretary Yudhveer Singh said there was no confusion over the change of venues at the last minute as it was pre-decided by the authorities concerned. “The Green Park too was wet and the match referee suggested a change of venue. The practice wickets were filled with water so the officials decided on a change in the venue at the last minute,” said Singh. “Though the ground was wet on Saturday, bad light hampered the proceedings.”
With no chance for either side making the knockouts, UP, who were asked to bat first, were 10 for no loss in three overs at close of play Saturday. Aaradhya Yadav (1) and Aanjaneya Suryavanshi (9) were at the crease.