Part of the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex is maintained by the Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA).It doesn’t come under BCCI and doesn’t have trained personnel or equipment to quickly dry a wet outfield, or enough covers to protect the ground.
The condition of the outfield, because of rain, meant no play was possible on the first two days of the Test match. With all eyes currently on match referee Javagal Srinath‘s report on the preparedness of the stadium, questions are being asked why a ground that has hosted no serious cricket since 2020 was thought fit to host a Test match.
With a seating capacity of 8,000, the stadium was built by GNIDA for Rs 150 crore in 2013 to host cricket and football. Basketball, volleyball courts and a skating rink were introduced in 2014, while an indoor hall was added in 2017. In 2015, the complex got approval to host domestic matches and fixtures involving associate countries.
It’s extremely distressing that no cricket could be played on two consecutive days, despite the absence of daytime rain on both days. This betrays a lack of foresight and absence of planning in hosting a Test match on a ground with such poor drainage facility, that too in the peak of monsoon. Authorities must take responsibility for this fiasco – as well as for the other shortcomings of the stadium – and carry out the upgrades. Test teams as well as every cricket lover deserve better.
The stadium shot into the limelight when BCCI hosted the Duleep Trophy in August-September 2016 here, the first instance in India when first-class matches were played with pink balls under lights. Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA), however, has been reluctant to host domestic matches at the venue.
The last BCCI match here was an U-19 Cooch Behar Trophy contest between Delhi and Haryana in 2019. Having been the ‘home’ ground of the Afghan cricket team, it has also hosted three T20 matches between Afghanistan and Ireland in March 2020.
The stadium recently hosted a few veterans’ matches. Other than that, corporate matches are played there. Sources told TOI the stadium has not been maintained properly for the last few years.
