Dharamsala wakes up the rest of the BCCI state associations

The HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala was able to host the first ODI between India and Afghanistan despite persistent rain at the start. (OR) Tech Word News. enter Dharamsala: At around 5pm on Saturday, Rohit Sharma was the first Indian cricketer to walk out at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala. Relentless rain delayed the start of the first ODI between India and Afghanistan and forced the players to stay busy with some indoor cricket as the weather showed no mercy.The DJ tried his best to entertain the audience and the mighty Dhauladhar played a perfect tease in a very gloomy setting. The covers finally came down around 4.50pm and it took just 15 minutes for the ground staff to get the pitch ready to throw. The Afghanistan openers were guarding just 45 minutes after the covers came down for the first time that day.The entire ground was not covered and the landing area was only protected after the downpour intensified. Once the rain stopped, the subsurface drainage system worked its magic and the pitch was ready for play within 20 minutes.The HPCA Stadium is only the second cricket stadium in the country after Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium to have a drainage system that allows for minimal delays once the weather clears. Dharamsala acquired the technology ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup, while Chinnaswamy has been using it for nearly a decade.No other venue in the country has warmed to the idea and continues to rely on traditional methods such as full pitch coverage – something that was pushed for by then BCCI secretary Jay Shah ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup. Chepauk are understood to have explored the idea when they relaid the entire field, but initial talks never materialized and they continue to use the traditional drainage system.How expensive is a subsurface drainage system?The sub-surface system used by Chinnaswamy and HPCA Stadium could cost anywhere between Rs 6-8 crore. While this costs at least five times more than traditional full ground covers, it eliminates a percentage of human error. Thanks to the drainage system, no association needs full terrain coverage or the army of ground personnel needed to move seamlessly during a disruption.There is a need for regular maintenance, but the running costs are far less than the benefit it provides.“No association is short of funds. BCCI gives them enough to maintain world-class infrastructure and it’s all about getting the priorities right. Fans and other stakeholders cannot be taken for a ride. Every cricket match lost is a wake-up call and it is the job of administrators to ensure that infrastructure is the last hurdle,” explains the BCCI veteran.Tech Word News. com spoke to several stakeholders and all were unanimous in explaining how a losing streak affects finances. A comprehensive insurance plan covers most income streams. While finances are not seriously affected, cricket and spectators – the most important stakeholders – take a hit. There is some loss of ticket revenue as money must be returned if no balls are bowled.“Insurance takes care of the revenue. Even the broadcaster doesn’t lose much or anything because the inventory takes place during rain-interrupted pods. The spectator who paid the highest price for a stadium seat and the teams participating in the tournament suffer,” explains the CEO of the leading IPL franchise.

The insurance company takes care of the income streams. The broadcaster doesn’t lose much either, as inventory takes place during rain-interrupted pods. The one who suffers is the spectator

IPL CEO, who did not wish to be named

“Every rig washed up or abandoned robs the team of momentum, which can have a bigger say in the bigger scheme of things,” the CEO added.The richest cricket board in the world is not short of resources and it is time for the state associations to adjust their priorities to ensure that the game of cricket does not suffer.