Another day of cricket is virtually impossible to watch at a stadium in India. Every few days, we have plights from fans regarding the horrible conditions. During the India vs New Zealand 2nd Test in Pune, fans weren’t made available to clean drinking water. Just like all cricket facilities in India, the MCA Stadium doesn’t allow bringing water bottles from outside. This means that fans have to completely rely on the MCA to provide them with water.
Fans protest at MCA Stadium
Well, no water was to be found. Agitated, fans started chanting they needed water. All of this happened after the first session. At noon, the heat started amping up, and fans couldn’t take it anymore. The ruckus forced the MCA to take immediate action. Soon after the protest, water was made available to fans, and the focus shifted once again to the Test match in Pune rather than the crowd.
No care for fans
One mustn’t forget these aren’t one-offs. In the last Test match in Bengaluru, fans showed the poor shape of the seating area for the match. During a Ranji Trophy match between Jammu & Kashmir and Maharashtra two weeks ago, fans were made to sit on ‘roads’ despite stands being fully empty. Asked why, fans said they have no clue. Under fire, what did the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) do? Well, they decided to ban the journalist who raised the issues instead of resolving them.