The top brass of the Hyderabad Cricket Association is now in a dilemma. With the canopy (roofing) work nearing completion at the north and south ends of the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium (Uppal), there are serious doubts if the canopy at the pavilion-end will block the flood-lighting facility. For, this roof stands right in the way of the two flood-lit towers unlike the two towers at the opposite end which are on either side of the roofing ensuring a clear view.
“Right now, we are not sure how exactly and to what extent the problem will be. So, we will definitely have to go in for ‘test’ lighting once the canopy work is completed (as of now, it is half-complete at the pavilion end and finished at the end opposite to the Grand Stand),” said a senior HCA official on condition of anonymity.
With just one month left for the city to host the Test match between India and Australia at this venue, it is imperative for HCA officials to ensure that the floodlighting of the venue is up to international standards.
This is mandatory as floodlights will be turned on in case of bad light, to complete the minimum number of overs per day (90) even during a Test match. So, it is not that these floodlights are required only for day-and-night matches.
If the canopy obstructs the floodlighting, what are the options? “We are in consultation with engineers who have hinted that in such a scenario, some adjustments have to be made with the towers as they have the provision for marginal realignment,” the senior official pointed out.
“The biggest handicap for Uppal Stadium is that most works are being taken up in a phase-wise manner, and many of them are not in the original plan, leading to these kinds of complications,” the official said.
So, by all means, top officials of the HCA will be busy overtime to ensure that everything is in place for the prestigious Test match next month.
