The Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) has made an intriguing move by devising a clever plan to deter monkeys from stealing food from the venue. They are a regular threat during international cricket matches at the famous cricket ground, it was discovered. They even occasionally pilfer food from the TV team that is assigned to cover international games.
The city known as the “Manchester of the East” is experiencing a spike in cricket fever among its supporters. Notably, the second and final Test of the series between Team India and Bangladesh will take place at Kanpur’s famed Green Park Stadium. On Friday, September 27, the match started.
The state cricket association chose to employ baboons, also called langurs, and their handlers to maintain control over the situation, as the UPCA was hosting the second Test.
Additionally, broadcast operators—who use camera equipment to cover and film the match just beyond the boundary fence—were more likely to become victims of food theft, according to Sanjay Kapoor, Director of Green Park. In order to prevent monkeys from getting to the drinks and snacks, he disclosed that the area has been covered with black clothing from the front and back.
Before the second Test, Kapoor told Indian Express, “We have langurs (long-tailed leaf monkeys) to take care of them to avoid the terror of monkeys.”
It’s worth noting that langurs have previously been used to keep monkeys away during an international cricket match. For a considerable amount of time, Green Park Stadium has been recognised as a preferred location for primates.
Green Park’s Balcony C stand was still only partially open to spectators.
Speaking about the venue, during a prior inspection by the state’s Public Works Department (PWD), it was determined that certain areas of Balcony ‘C’ were unsafe for fans to remain in and watch the India vs. Bangladesh game. It was thus closed for maintenance. After that, just one day before the match on Friday, some seats in the stand were deemed off-limits to fans, while other sections were opened up for the public to watch the Indian cricket stars in action.
Following an inspection three days prior to kickoff, PWD and Harcourt Butler Technical University discovered that certain seats in C Block were unsafe for spectator use.
Also Read: IND vs BAN: Green Park stand is ready for fans after repairs ahead of 2nd Test
The upper block still has about 1750 seats available for visitors, Kapoor informed the reporters the night before the match.
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