The Uttar Pradesh Public Works Department (PWD) has declared one of the stands at Kanpur’s Green Park Stadium unsafe just a few days before the second Test between India and Bangladesh, according to The Indian Express.
The structure might not hold the full crowd and could collapse under the weight, officials believe. Due to this, less than half of the Balcony C stand's seats will be available for sale during the match.
“The PWD has raised some issues and we have agreed that we will not sell all the tickets of Balcony C. We have been told to sell only 1,700 tickets for the stand, which has a capacity of 4,800. The repair work will continue for the next couple of days,” the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) CEO Ankit Chatterjee told the publication.
PWD officials have expressed concerns about the safety of a section of the stadium, saying it could be dangerous if a large crowd gathers there. On September 24, engineers inspected the Balcony C stand for almost six hours.
After the workers had left the stands around 5 PM, officials from the PWD and the UPCA met near the stand. They understood that the stand would not be able to handle its full seating capacity. They advised the UPCA to close this stand before the match, the publication added.
An engineer explained that the stand might not even hold the weight of 50 fans if they become excited and jump. He mentioned that this part of the stadium urgently requires repairs.
“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 told the publication.
The India vs Bangladesh 2nd Test match in Kanpur will start on September 27. India are 1-0 ahead in the cricket series.
