Short sight at Uppal stadium
Hyderabad, Nov. 14: Sightscreen problems continued to haunt the Hyderabad Cricket Association during the third day’s play of the ongoing Test match between India and New Zealand. Disruptions were the order of the day at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium as batsmen were frequently distracted by the movement behind the screen.
The players have not been too happy with the screen on the first two days of the match. Match referee Ranjan Madugalle told HCA officials that the problem had to be fixed at the earliest and asked them to increase the height after the second day’s play as Sachin Tendulkar was at the crease, in search of his 50th Test century, it is learnt.
HCA officials tried to make amends before play started on Sunday. Curator Y.L. Chandrashekar was seen playing the batsman on the wicket and giving directions over the phone as sheets were being adjusted to cover the batsman’s view.
However, the job was not up to Sachin Tendulkar’s satisfaction at least. He tried to alter things from the middle against the run of play, something that may have affected his concentration as he soon lost his wicket. This time around, the policemen too were involved as they sauntered about the sensitive area. “We took necessary precautions and covered up a column of seats behind the 20-feet-high screen with white sheets. We had also posted men to block the movement (of people) but sadly, there were breaches. We will do away with those seats and barricade the area in time for the next match,” HCA and BCCI vice-president N. Shivlal Yadav told this newspaper on Sunday.
That would cost the HCA some ticket revenue but Shivlal says ‘it doesn’t matter.’ “We will have to uproot about 160 seats — 80 at each end. However, we will get about 300 seats more in the eastern stand as the giant screen will be moved up, in place of the huge frame behind the stand,” Shivlal informed.
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