Is Kanpur a 'Yes' or a 'No'?
Sanjay Suri
India Abroad correspondent in London
England haven't exactly said 'No' to playing cricket in Kanpur, but they don't seem keen to say 'Yes' either.
Kanpur was named in recent reports as one of the venues for the five-Test series that England are to play in India this winter. The England and Wales Cricket Board was not pleased.
The ECB did not make a formal objection to Kanpur but spoke of its doubts over "smaller venues" for the Test matches. The ECB was "a little surprised that England will not be playing at the major venues," a spokesman for the ECB told rediff.com on Thursday. The spokesman said the ECB was not at odds with the Indian board. "We are merely suggesting that the matches be played at better venues."
The spokesman said: "If smaller venues are what the Indian board decides then perhaps that's the way we'll go, but nothing is decided yet." the spokesman added.
Kanpur figured in a list of venues prepared by a sub-committee. That list has been submitted to the BCCI. But negotiations are still continuing between the ECB and the Indian board on where England should not play its matches in India.
The ECB has objected to some of the "smaller venues" on the ground that it will be difficult for English fans to get there. Those venues "may not be able to cope with a significant number of English fans who might go to watch the matches," the ECB spokesman said.
Last year 7,000 English fans went to see the matches in Sri Lanka. This year
the Indian venues may have to cater for "many thousands of England fans,"
the spokesman said.
The venues for the Test series against England and New Zealand this winter were picked on a rotation basis so that the big matches can be seen all around the country and not just a few big cities.
The ECB itself took a similar view during the last World Cup in England. India played South Africa at Hove, a small town with a stadium that could set only a few thousand. The ECB had then said that cricket would be popularised by taking big matches to smaller venues.
