After washed out T20I vs South Africa, calls grow for BCCI to build stadia with retractable roofs

Bengaluru, June 20 (IANS): Following the washed out deciding fifth T20I between India and South Africa in Bengaluru, which left the teams sharing the spoils at two-all, calls are growing for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to spend on building a few stadiums with retractable roofs.

After an engrossing four games, spectators and fans felt short-changed on Sunday with only 3.3 overs of India’s innings possible before incessant rain forced the umpires to call off the game with the hosts on 28/2 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra took to social media to give vent to the spectators’ frustration, saying, “Indian cricket must invest in a couple of stadia with a retractable roof… with the quantum of broadcast monies flowing in, it’s imperative to take the weather out of the equation. As much as you can.”

England great Kevin Pietersen, who has been part of several cricketing campaigns in India including playing for several years in the Indian Premier League, urged the Indian cricket board to improve the “stadiums for the viewers and players”, given the kind of money they have earned from the IPL media rights recently.

“The new TV rights deal for the IPl was HUGE! When you see those numbers, I think the BCCI will now improve the stadiums for the viewers, players etc. India is a powerhouse & lead with so much. They should now build the BEST stadiums in the world,” quipped Pietersen.

Pietersen’s call for improvement of cricket infrastructure in India received a lot of appreciation, with several fans recounting their “painful” experiences at various stadia across the country.