Cricket: Indians wary of minefield

By RICHARD BOOCK

Indian authorities will decide this week whether to gamble on Kanpur's Green Park Stadium being ready for the test series against New Zealand.

The Uttar Pradesh venue is the subject of hot debate in India after suggestions that the newly re-laid pitch - prepared in consultation with the New Zealand Sports Turf Institute - could be a minefield.

New Zealand begin their tour of the subcontinent next month.

They start the first test on October 8, and the second on October 16.

They then play India and Australia in a one-day tri-series and end the visit with five one-dayers in Pakistan.

Green Park Stadium, one of the venues chosen for an experiment in producing fast and bouncy pitches, was inspected by a committee on Monday amid contrasting claims about the quality of the surface.

Previous reports have highlighted irreparable turf damage caused by monsoon rains, an uneven surface and wild weeds growing in the grass, and even local administrators are now exercising caution.

Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association secretary Jyoti Bajpai was reported to have said that neither he nor his association wanted to take a risk, as nobody knew how the untested pitch would behave.

"If the pitches committee decides in favour of a match, then the BCCI [Board of Control for Cricket in India] and the pitches committee would be responsible for any untoward incident," he said.

The wrangle over the test venue will have been noticed by the New Zealand cricket team, who have yet to win a series in India.

They will face a huge challenge this year, particularly after their drubbing of Sourav Ganguly's team at home last summer.

New Zealand beat the tourists 4-1 in the one-dayers and 2-0 in tests, during an acrimonious tour in which India believed they were forced to play on doctored pitches.

If Kanpur does host the New Zealanders, it's likely to be for the second test, to allow maximum time for remedial work and preparation.

In that case, Mohali, which is certain to host one of the tests, will be assigned the series opener.

If Kanpur is scratched from the fixtures list because of the surface problems, Ahmedabad is likely to be the replacement venue - despite last year's riots.

Another ground causing some concern for Indian officials is the Jawaharal Nehru Stadium in Guwahati, venue for the New Zealand-Australia one-dayer on November 9.

Local administrators have apparently been frustrated in their preparations because the ground is still in the possession of Guwahati soccer officials and will be not be handed over for several weeks.

Reports say the pitch block is receiving attention, but the outfield is covered in thick, tall grass and potholes.

* India batsman Virender Sehwag could return to action against New Zealand after dropping out of the English county scene to rehabilitate a troublesome back injury.