Get roof over stadium, BCCI bosses tell HCA
Hyderabad, Nov. 13: The world class facilities at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium (RGICS) may have impressed officials as well as players and been instrumental in Hyderabad regaining Test status but still a lot needs to be done, feels Board of Control for Cricket in India president Shashank Manohar.
Mr Manohar, who was in the City on Saturday to witness second day’s action during the ongoing India-New Zealand Test, was keen on the entire stadium being covered with a roof. Currently, the stands are open to sky and fans are left to fend for themselves be it the sweltering heat or pouring rain.
“The facilities (with regard to players and officials) are good here but it would be a lot better if the stands are covered for the benefit of spectators,” Mr Manohar told reporters at the stadium.
“The sooner they (the Hyderabad Cricket Association) do it the better,” he said.
When the RGICS was conceived there was a roof running right around the stadium in the prototype model. However, the plan was changed midway through the construction process, exposing the state-of-the-art seats to the vagaries of weather. So much so that the once bright seats, which presented a pleasing picture, have now become discoloured and appear as if they are coated by salt.
However, HCA and BCCI vice-president N. Shivlal Yadav points to a circumstantial glitch. “Should the roof come up over the eastern and western stands, the shadow of the structure will creep on to the pitch faster, thereby cutting short playing time as it will be difficult for the batsmen to pick the ball,” he sought to explain.
“Even today we saw that play (during the Test) was 11 overs short as the shadows had reached the pitch,” he added.
In the current scenario, the cash-rich HCA should contemplate installing retractable roofs on the eastern and western sides. “It could come up for discussion in the executive committee meeting,” Shivlal said.
The HCA has already pledged canopy roofs at the north and south ends but works have been pending for a while now.
Shashank Manohar was also happy with the crowd attendance on Saturday — 22,236. “It’s a very encouraging figure for a Test match,” the BCCI president said.
Shivlal thanked the BCCI secretary N. Srinivasan, who came to Hyderabad along with senior selection committee chairman Krishnamachari Srikkanth, Tamil Nadu Cricket Association secretary Kasi Viswanathan, IPL vice-commissioner and former BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah and Shashank Manohar in a chartered flight from Chennai to watch the day’s play. They left in the evening.
“I would also like to thank Visaka Industries, which part-sponsored the stadium while it was being constructed,” Shivlal said.
Sunday ticket sales
The Hyderabad Cricket Association informs that tickets for the ongoing India-New Zealand Test will be sold on Sunday at the following UCO Bank branches in the City: S.P. Road, M.G. Road and Secunderabad (near YMCA). Tickets will also be sold at e-seva centres located in Habsiguda, Ramanthapur, Snehapuri and Nacharam.
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