Kanpur, after all, may get to host one of India's two cricket Tests against New Zealand in October this year after sports officials and a Board of Control for Cricket in India Grounds and Wickets Committee member inspected the Green Park stadium, the venue for the Test, on Thursday and decided to set things right in time for the match.
"We know the final decision whether Kanpur will host the match rests on the BCCI. But on our part we are in favour of hosting the match," Uttar Pradesh sports secretary R C Dua told reporters after a marathon meeting with Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association secretary Jyoti Bajpai and Anand Shukla, member of the Grounds committee.
Bajpai also said Kanpur is very keen to host the match and proposed that a few matches be played at the venue before the Test to know the exact nature of the pitch.
"All of us want to have a match in Kanpur. The only worry is how the pitch will behave as most of the freshly relaid pitches including the one in Bangalore have produced unsatisfactory results," Bajpai, also the joint secretary of the BCCI, said.
Dua said the state government is committed to provide all assistance to the UPCA to ensure that Kanpur hosts the match.
The funds will not come in the way of ensuring the stadium is readied in time for the match, Dua said.
Shukla said he had submitted a report to Dua after a close inspection of the pitch which has retained a lot of water owing to monsoon showers.
Naeemuddin Siddiqui, chairman of the Kanpur Cricket Association, said he is satisfied with the work being carried out to ready the pitch.
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