Tried and tested venues likely for Ranji ties
LUCKNOW: The lack of facilities has kept new venues in the state out of the reckoning for hosting domestic first-class cricket matches in the upcoming season. Uttar Pradesh’s four home ties out of the total eight are expected to be held at ‘tried and tested’ venues like Meerut, Ghaziabad, Kanpur and Lucknow.
If the dressing room facilities at Moradabad are upgraded on time, it could also be considered as one of the venues. The dressing room facilities there were found to be inadequate for the players when Moradabad hosted an under-19 match last season.
“All other facilities, including the pitch, were perfect there. If they get it (the dressing room) upgraded as per the requirement, they could get to host bigger matches this season,” an UPCA insider told HT.
“The BCCI pitches and grounds committee will inspect the venue,” he added. Committee members Taposh Chatterjee and Samunder Singh were expected to inspect all the venues soon.
RESULT ORIENTED PITCHES
In terms of the BCCI’s emphasis on result-oriented pitches across country for domestic matches, all four regular venues in the state, except the Dr Akhilesh Das Stadium here, have been a success. They have even praised by the cricket board. Playing four matches on home turf last season, UP had two outright wins.
The home team defeated Delhi by six wickets at Ghaziabad, before missing an outright win at Meerut by a whisker against Karnataka. At Kanpur’s Green Park stadium, they scored a thumping 10-wicket victory against Baroda. Their last match on home soil against Haryana in Lucknow had ended in a tame draw.
“It wasn’t a dead wicket at all,” said KM Khan, secretary of the Cricket Association of Lucknow. “This time, we are going to put a new layer on the pitch as two trucks of special mud are being brought in from Unnao for this purpose,” he said, adding, “Special care is being taken of the outfield also.”
NO SUPPORT
He, however, accepted that district units of the UPCA did not get any support from the parent body for the development of ground and other infrastructure like rollers.
“Last season, I managed a roller on my own, and this time the CAL has arranged a grass cutting machine for the stadium from its own resources,” said Khan, adding, “We get reimbursement for all the expenses incurred on the board trophy matches from the UPCA, but nothing for the development of the game.”
Sources in UPCA too accept-
IF THE DRESSING ROOM FACILITIES AT MORADABAD ARE UPGRADED ON TIME, IT COULD ALSO BE CONSIDERED AS ONE OF THE VENUES
ed that despite the state body getting a huge amount (several crores every year) from the BCCI for development of the game, the district units allegedly received nothing. “It’s the district units who need to raise money for the development of the game in their areas,” said a UPCA official on condition of anonymity.