Kanpur misses out on third Test

Kanpur will not host the third Test, scheduled from December 18-22, between India and Sri Lanka. The Tours, Programmes and Fixtures Committee of the Indian board will decide on an alternative venue on December 3 in Mumbai.

"The Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association [UPCA] has expressed its inability to conduct it [the Test] at Kanpur as per the original schedule and the Tours Programmes and Fixtures would take a decision on the matter in Mumbai on December 3," Ratnakar Shetty, the BCCI's executive secretary-in-charge, told PTI.

The UPCA said that they could not stage the Test because of the local municipal council's refusal to hand over the ground. "It is not correct to say we have expressed our inability to host the match," said Jyoti Bajpai, the UPCA secretary. "We have informed the Annual General Meeting that we have not been yet allotted the ground." Usually, the UPCA takes charge of the Green Park Stadium 30 days before a match.