MoU on Green Park bodes well for cricket in UP

LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association had been striving to get the Green Park stadium on lease for the last decade. The prospect of a semblance of control over the stadium in Kanpur through an MoU with the state government is a good tiding not only for aspiring cricketers but also for their ardent fans in Uttar Pradesh.
One of the five permanent Test centres in India and once the pride of UP, the stadium has been hurtling on a journey down the hill since 1986.Till then, it hosted Test matches regularly. Over a quarter of century of neglect has taken its toll on the stadium. Smaller states and fledgling cricket associations have come up with swankier cricket venues, but UP government, which is responsible for the upkeep of the stadium and the UPCA have failed to save Green Park from falling off the favoured international itineraries. Between 2009 and 2013, it could not hold a single international match. As for the UPCA, despite adequate funds, it has failed to build a stadium of its own.
Given the circumstances, decision of the state government to sign MoU with the UPCA on exclusive use of the stadium for six months a year will enable the UPCA to revive the fortunes of the stadium by renovating it in a phased manner.
The stadium no doubt requires major overhaul if it has to compete with the plethora of new stadiums that have come up in the last few years in cities like Ranchi, Nagpur, Visakhapatnam and Pune. The Green Park stadium, however, has its limitations as there is not much space available to expand facilities on the periphery.
Moreover, the facade of the 65-year-old Green Park stadium is crumbling and the stands need to be renovated in an integrated manner for an aesthetic look. That will be an uphill task. But with a person of the caliber of Rajeev Shukla, who has been appointed the IPL chairman once again, it should not be much problem to generate funds for the massive renovations it needs.
With Shukla regaining his position in the BCCI, MoU with the state government on Green Park holds promise for a better future of cricket in the state, not only for aspiring cricketers but for the cricket fans too who have been deprived of witnessing top-class matches on a regular basis.
UPCA, however, should continue to strive to build their own international standard stadium as most of the other state associations have either already built or are in the process of building a second stadium. Cricket, be it IPL or ODIs and T20s, is a money-spinner and UPCA needs to strive earnestly for at least two stadiums in hand if it wants to maintain its relevance in today’s cricket scenario.