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Kanpur's Green Park stadium's wait to host an international match looks likely to continue after Cricket Australia rejected the venue because of the slow pace of its renovation.
India were scheduled to host Australia, from March 14-18 next year, in Kanpur for the third Test of the four-match series. But the five-member delegation from Cricket Australia which inspected the playing conditions and security arrangements in the city on Wednesday, was unhappy with the progress of renovation work at the stadium.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India has given the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association 15 days' time to get their house in order, failing which the third Test will be shifted.
"The Board has already identified the Rajiv Gandhi International stadium in Hyderabad as the back-up venue in case the Green Park stadium fails to meet the 15-day deadline," a BCCI official told Rediff.com.
The Green Park stadium last hosted a Test three years ago, when India played Sri Lanka in November 2009.
The second One-day International between India and South Africa in February 2010 was shifted to Gwalior after a part of the stadium was reportedly deemed unfit to accommodate spectators.
"The Australian officials were also unhappy with the dressing room and dining hall areas. They also raised concern about the renovation work still going on in the players' pavilion block," the official said, adding they expressed displeasure over the quality of the five-star hotel in the city.
Earlier this month, BCCI officials visited the venue and asked the association to speed up the renovation work.
BCCI chief administrative officer Ratnakar Shetty and cricket operations manager Suru Nayak had raised similar concerns over the dressing room and renovation work in some blocks.
Mohali, Chennai and Delhi will host the other three Tests in the series, scheduled between February-March next year.