After uproar, Kanpur’s Green Park to get red soil wickets

Green Park stadium, one of the country’s five permanent Test cricket venues, is set to introduce red soil pitches, catering to a long-standing demand by players and coaches. The move follows a series of comments by prominent cricket figures expressing dissatisfaction with the absence of red soil wickets in Kanpur.

Currently, Green Park features black soil pitches, which have been used for Test and One-Day matches. However, red soil wickets have long been preferred for limited-overs formats due to their ability to produce better bounce and consistent play. While the country’s major cricket grounds host T20 and ODI matches on red soil, Green Park had remained an outlier in this regard.

In September 2024, Gautam Gambhir, the head coach of the Indian team, voiced surprise and disappointment over the lack of red soil wickets during India’s Test match against Bangladesh. Meanwhile, Sunil Joshi, the coach of Uttar Pradesh’s Ranji team, took a firm stand by refusing to play First-Class matches in Kanpur, citing the absence of red soil wickets as a major hindrance.

As a result, the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) has finally green-lighted the creation of red soil wickets at Green Park. The venue will soon have two main red soil wickets and two practice wickets, marking a significant upgrade to the ground. The number of pitches in the main block will increase from 9 to 11, ensuring that players have access to red soil for training and competitive matches.

Many UP players have had to practice at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, which was the only nearby venue offering red soil wickets.

Shiv Kumar, the stadium’s pitch curator, confirmed that work on the new red soil wickets is expected to begin in March 2025.