Kolkata to cry again?

A crying Vinod Kambli walking off the Eden Gardens in 1996 is one of the most haunting memories of Indian cricket. Since then, the Eden Gardens has not had the best of times and has unfortunately seen India lose far too often. The ground developed a reputation for having the worst crowds and soon enough, the city lost out on hosting key matches. The emergence of better grounds and facilities at venues like Bangalore, Chennai, Mohali and even Nagpur meant that the coliseum that was Kolkata was reduced to a footnote.

Come 2011 and the Cricket World Cup, big time cricket would have returned to the Eden Gardens. But alas, typically lax Indian planning and work ethic meant that the city has been denied this chance. Despite the BCCI trying (not too convincingly, if I may say so) to get an extension for the work completion date, the ICC has refused to budge. Unlike with the CWG 2010, there isn’t to be a miracle at the Eden. Probably because the list of pending work is just too long.

While the result is sad for the cricket fans of Kolkata, it is a serious wake-up call for sports administrators in India – BCCI included. There never seems to be a plan and deadlines mean squat to any of these. It has always been known that the fans’ are at the bottom of the food chain for sport administrators in India but this sort of callous behaviour only re-emphasizes it.

Being from Pune, a city where cricket has had a sorry excuse of a ground for the last many years, I totally understand the frustration of fans. Often, Pune was left with the worst possible games in a tournament, if at all. As a fan, it’s a task to watch the game at the stadium. Hopefully, with the new stadium coming up just outside the city, this may change.

For Kolkata, however, this was a chance that was available “now”. And it has been mucked up. Typically by administrators.

No World Cup matches for Pune

What a sorry, sorry state of affairs. The World Cup cricket returns to India after 1996 and there is no game for Pune.

Nagpur, on the other hand, gets four games. Including some big tickets ones including AUS v NZ and IND v SA  in addition to two smaller games. So where does that leave Pune?

The MCA has done nothing of note to build a stadium worthy of international games in the city. Even recent Ranji Trophy matches have taken place at the Poona Club ground or at the Deccan Gymkhana ground neither of which have seating.

It’s pitiable, but a reflection of what the city is doing to itself. While definitely lacking in basic infrastructure, it is certainly better in support infrastructure (hotels, restaurants etc) than Nagpur. But the basic missing link – a ground – has yet again cost the city.

As Mr Kalmadi, our esteemed MP continues to bungle the CWG2010, the city reels. Sure, building a ground is not his job, but he does have a finger in every pie in the city’s development. Or the lack of it.

Much has been said about this, and it is really pointless crying over this. We will perhaps need to plan to catch the games in Mumbai (the Final is there) or Nagpur. Or maybe Bangalore or Ahmedabad… all accessible. Of course, none closer than a ground in the city, but one can’t live on pipe dreams, now, can one?