India made a winning start to the series against Bangladesh. © BCCI
Green Park Stadium Stand Deemed Unsafe Ahead of India-Bangladesh 2nd Test
Just days before the second Test between India and Bangladesh at Kanpur’s Green Park Stadium, the Uttar Pradesh Public Works Department (PWD) has flagged safety concerns over one of the stands, declaring it unsafe to handle full capacity.
Government officials raised concerns that the structure of Balcony C may not withstand the weight of a full crowd during the match, posing a risk of collapse. Consequently, only less than half of the stand’s seating capacity will be available for sale during the Test match.
“The PWD has raised some issues, and we have agreed not to sell all the tickets for Balcony C,” UPCA CEO Ankit Chatterjee told The Indian Express. “We have been told to sell only 1,700 tickets for the stand, which has a capacity of 4,800. Repair work will continue for the next couple of days.”
According to PWD officials, there is a significant risk if a large crowd gathers in this particular section of the stadium. Engineers spent nearly six hours inspecting Balcony C on Tuesday and advised the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) to close the stand entirely during the match starting on Friday.
“This stand won’t be able to hold even 50 fans if they start jumping after Rishabh Pant hits a six. The structure is in dire need of repair,” a PWD engineer said.
Green Park Stadium, owned by the Uttar Pradesh government’s sports department, has seen limited international cricket action in recent years. One reason for this is the rise of the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, which offers better facilities and now serves as UPCA’s base.
“This stadium is not directly under UPCA control. We are given a 40-day window before a match to prepare it. We’ve done our best to ensure everything is ready for this important World Test Championship (WTC) match,” Chatterjee added.
