The Green Park Stadium in Kanpur, which hosted the rain-affected second Test between India and Bangladesh, has received an “unsatisfactory” rating from the International Cricket Council (ICC) for its outfield. The rating comes with one demerit point for the venue.
The outfield was deemed unsatisfactory due to the excessive rain that prevented play on days two and three of the Test match. Despite no rain falling during the scheduled playing hours on day three, the outfield remained unplayable.
In the lead-up to the Test match, the state’s public works department had deemed one of Green Park’s stands unsafe, forcing the stadium authorities to limit the number of spectators allowed in the upper-level seats.
The Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA), which manages the Green Park Stadium, has been criticized for the poor condition of the outfield. BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla, who hails from Kanpur, defended the venue but admitted that it was in need of refurbishment.
Despite the outfield issues, India managed to force a victory in the Test match, picking up 20 Bangladesh wickets in the space of 121.2 overs and scoring 383 runs in just 52 overs across two innings.
The Green Park pitch for this Test match, meanwhile, earned a “satisfactory” rating.
The ICC rates pitches and outfields for all international games on a scale of very good to unfit. One demerit point is awarded to venues for an unsatisfactory rating, and three for an unfit rating. If any ground receives five or more demerit points in a five-year rolling period, it is suspended from hosting any international cricket for 12 months.
The rest of the venues that hosted India’s 2024-25 international season did not come in for any censure from the ICC. Of the pitches on which India played their five Tests, four – including all three that hosted the recently concluded series against New Zealand, in Bengaluru, Pune, and Mumbai – earned “satisfactory” ratings, while the surface at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium, which hosted the first Test against Bangladesh, earned a “very good” tag.
