The officials raised concerns about the Balcony C stand at the Green Park Stadium, cautioning that the structure could come down if it were in full capacity during the Test match. With the Test match being just two days away, there was not enough time to do the required repair work and get the stand ready. Hence, it was decided that only half of the stand will be opened for public during the Test match.

“The PWD has raised some issues and we have agreed that we will not sell all the tickets of Balcony C,” UPCA CEO Ankit Chatterjee told The Indian Express.

“We have been told to sell only 1700 tickets for the stand, which has a capacity of 4,800. The repair work will continue for the next couple of days,” he added.

Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) was advised to close the Balcony C stand during the upcoming match, starting Friday, due to safety concerns.

A team of engineers from the Public Works Department (PWD) conducted a six-hour inspection of the stand on Tuesday and warned of significant risks associated with accommodating a large crowd in that area. PWD officials cited potential hazards, recommending the stand’s closure to ensure spectator safety during the event.

“This stand won’t be able to take the weight of even 50 fans, if they start jumping after Rishabh Pant hits a six. This part of the stadium is in dire need of repair,” a PWD engineer was quoted as saying in the report.

When the workers left the stands at 5 PM on Tuesday, both parties—PWD officers and UPCA officials—held a meeting near the stand and agreed that it wouldn’t be able to take the load to its full capacity.

The historic Green Park Stadium, which hosted its first Test way back in 1952, is currently not the favoured venue for international matches in Uttar Pradesh. The UPCA prefers to host its matches at the newlybuilt Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, which is owned by them unl like the Green Park, which is managed by the Uttar Pradesh government’s sports department.

“This stadium is not directly under UPCA, and we have a clear window of 40 days before a match to get it ready. We have done our best to keep everything intact before this important World Test Championship (WTC) match,” said Chatterjee.

Floodlights another big issue

The Green Park Stadium’s infrastructure concerns extend beyond the structurally unsound Balcony C stand, as the floodlight system also poses a potential issue, particularly in cases of bad light affecting gameplay.

The stadium’s lighting woes were evident during India’s last Test match here against New Zealand nearly three years ago. Poor visibility played a crucial role in the final session of Day 5, allowing the visitors to secure a thrilling draw.

In that memorable match, Indian players were left frustrated as they waited for an improvement in lighting conditions, only to ultimately concede a draw as New Zealand’s last-wicket pair, Rachin Ravindra and Ajaz Patel, held on.

Despite the passage of time, The Indian Express has learned that the floodlights issue remains unaddressed, raising concerns about the stadium’s ability to host seamless day-night cricket matches.

“Eight bulbs of the floodlight near the VIP pavilion are not working properly,” said a sports department officer.

“In Kanpur, visibility has always been a problem. It’s mostly because of the pollution. The last time, India failed to win the Test against New Zealand at this venue because of bad light, ironically when all the floodlights were on. Hopefully, we won’t have to go through that embarrassment again.”