As criticism mounts regarding Kanpur's Green Park Stadium due to its poor drainage system, BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla has stepped in to defend the historic venue. The calls to strip Kanpur of hosting rights have grown louder after the India vs Bangladesh second Test saw Days 2 and 3 washed out—despite no rain on the third day, the wet outfield prevented play.
In response to the suggestion that Kanpur should no longer host international matches, Shukla emphasised the heritage status of Green Park, one of India's oldest cricket grounds. "Criticism is something we face regularly in BCCI administration," Shukla remarked on Day 4 of the Test. "When Kanpur wasn't hosting matches, there was criticism. Now, after awarding a match to Kanpur, there's criticism again. It’s part of the job."
Shukla highlighted that Green Park has historically been a "permanent Test centre," alongside iconic venues like Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Bangalore, and Mumbai. "This ground is over 80 years old, and it has always been a permanent venue for Test matches," he noted. "It’s the first time in 80 years that heavy rain has disrupted play for two consecutive days."
Further defending the ground, Shukla pointed out that Kanpur had never had a match abandoned due to rain before this incident, which is a rare occurrence globally. "Many international venues have had matches abandoned due to rain. The history of Green Park shows this is the first such incident, so I don’t believe the criticism is justified."
Shukla acknowledged the outdated infrastructure but explained that newer technologies for drainage were not available when Green Park was built. "At newer stadiums like in Lucknow and the one being constructed in Varanasi, we’ve implemented high-tech systems to drain rainwater effectively. These were not available when Green Park was developed," he added.