Kolkata, Aug 05: The Ground and Wickets Committee (GWC) of the cricket board is expected to take a decision on choosing Kanpur as the Test venue for the upcoming New Zealand series, when it meets under new chairman Venkat Sundaram here today. The meeting is also slated to discuss plans for the coming cricket season, board sources said.
Mohali and Kanpur were originally scheduled to host the two Tests against the Kiwis, but doubts have been raised with regard to the latter after reports that the relaid pitch might not be ready in time.
Kanpur's Green Park stadium was one of the venues chosen by the BCCI to relay the pitch as part of its bid to prepare fast, bouncy tracks in India, in consultation with the New Zealand Sports Turf Institute.
However, doubts on the stadium's capability to hold the Test were raised after BCCI joint secretary Jyoti Bajpai said in mid July that the newly-relaid pitch was very damp owing to heavy rainfall and unlikely to be readied in time for the Test match.
But the Uttar Pradesh government recently claimed that the ground was ready and the Test match could be held there.
Bureau Report