Kanpur in doubt as venue for New Zealand tour

Kanpur and Mohali have been confirmed as the venues for New Zealand's tour of India in September-October, but doubts have arisen about Kanpur's readiness for a match.

Constant monsoon rains have affected the newly prepared pitch at the ground, and administrators are concerned about whether they will be able to get it ready for a Test match.

The pitch has not been used since being laid eight months ago, and there are concerns that it might not be up to standard - a problem that also affected the last match at the ground between New Zealand and India in 1999.

Under the International Cricket Council's (ICC) rules, a ground can be declared unfit for international cricket, and grounds at Indore and Nagpur had been deemed so before being restored. The local administrators are understandably keen to avoid that. Kanpur itself was the second choice for the opening match of the series, with Bangalore being the original choice.

Alternative options include reverting the Test to Bangalore or shifting the match to Nagpur. Bangalore, however, is already staging a one-day international during the tri-series following the Tests, which gives Nagpur a better shot at playing host.