CAL hopes to make the right ‘pitch’

LUCKNOW: Cricket Association Lucknow (CAL) is likely to get the hosting rights of a Ranji Trophy match this season even though the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has an ‘adverse’ report about the pitch of Dr Akhilesh Das Gupta Stadium here.

As per sources, the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association has agreed to send its team of curators to the venue next week so that the top dressing of the pitch as well as surrounding area could be done. Pitch and ground committee chief of BCCI, Daljeet Singh is also likely to visit the venue next month.

“Once it is completed, we can hope of getting a match this season,” CAL’s secretary KM Khan told HT on Thursday. “We will ask for the UP-Baroda match, starting from December 1,” he said.

The venue has already been allocated a league match of the Col CK Nayudu Trophy between former champions and hosts Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, starting October 10. Besides, it would also be hosting the Central Zone one-day league of the senior women’s here.

Khan also clarified that UPCA officials have already visited the venue this week and soon its team of curators would also be inspecting the venue. “We have already launched the preparatory work at the ground for the under-23 match and hope to achieve perfection in advance.”

It is learnt that the Das stadium has been hosting Ranji Trophy matches on regular basis since 2007, but this time UPCA ‘refused’ a match to it because of an adverse report of the BCCI about the pitch and the ground. “It was just a confusion of the match referee last season when he sent his report about the pitch in advance whereas the work was completed on the eve of the match,” said a CAL official on condition of anonymity.

“During the last 4-5 years, things (ground/pitch) have improved drastically as well as other facilities at the Das stadium. I find this stadium most suitable for the conduct of the board matches in the state other than the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur, but I don’t know why this centre is being denied a Ranji Trophy match,” said an UPCA insider.

KHAN ALSO CLARIFIED THAT UPCA OFFICIALS HAVE ALREADY VISITED THE VENUE THIS WEEK AND SOON ITS TEAM OF CURATORS WOULD ALSO BE INSPECTING THE VENUE