Dharamsala's HPCA Stadium Gears Up For The Big League

Dharamsala: The fourth ODI between India and the West Indies on October 18 will be the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) stadium's first ODI game in almost two years. As the panoramic venue gears up for just its second ever international match, preparations are in full swing to ensure that both players and the crowd have an experience worth remembering.

Bringing international action to the hills was never an easy task, but due to the HPCA's constant efforts over the years, the state of Himachal Pradesh today boasts a world-class cricket stadium. The board embarked upon a journey in the year 2000 and its the development - especially in terms of infrastructure has been immense. The growth of the association has picked up sharply since 2002, reaching almost 150 million by 2008 and a staggering 1000 millions at present.

The reason behind the positive twist is mainly attributed to the untiring efforts being put in by the HPCA under the dynamic leadership of Anurag Thakur, who led the team from the front with full dedication and commitment which was duly complimented by the financial support in the shapes of subsidies by the BCCI.

The foundation of the HPCA Stadium was laid by Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal in March 2002. It was a significant achievement for the HPCA not only because creating an international stadium in the hills was almost unthinkable, but also for playing a crucial role in the promotion of cricket in the state. Thanks to the BCCI's support, the stadium began getting its shape every passing year and in 2007, the construction was almost 75 percent complete.

As the lush green ground matching international standards was ready for playing, the stadium even hosted some first-class matches and a prestigious three-day practice match between Pakistan and the Board President’s XI. In September 2007, the ICC inspected the stadium to include in into the list of venues for international matches, but unfortunately due to a few shortcomings related to a lack of proper hotel accommodation, the picturesque stadium had to wait for two more years before getting the clearance for ODI and Twenty20 matches.

The ground is prepared with Bermuda and winter grass and comprises a field size of 80 yards from the centre of the square. The main square has six strips , out of which centre three has the TV camera facility. In addition, there exist two separate practice areas with eight strips for both teams. The stadium in not only furnished with modern amenities and state of art machinery, but also with proper international-quality equipment which include 11 rollers, and 4 Super Soppers.

The stadium also gives clarion-call to the players and is very well connected with the main roads of the town. There are 13 stands and five main entries for 19,979 spectators. The stadium has two blocks, South Block (Pavillion End) and North Block (media centre). The South Block consists of magnificent dressing rooms, with luxurious facilities for players, match referee room, observer room, umpire Room, third umpire room, scorers’ room, video analyst room, corporate boxes and a VIP sitting area.

The North Block nestles the media centre, commentary box, venue operation centre and the post-match conference area. The media centre has the capacity to accommodate nearly 150 people and by the look of it, the proceedings of the matches are clearly visible from there. There are appropriate and marked places to put cameras to cover the event live and particularly to keep a close vigil at all activities.

In the lap of the Himalayas, surrounded by green tress and tea gardens is the special beauty provided to players and officials called ‘The Pavillion’ by the HPCA. It is situated at a place which gives a complete view of the stadium from its rooms by using any binocular. The cottages there are eco friendly and they are commodious enough to put in more than two teams along with other supporting cricket staff. With a nice little blend of cricket and nature, the Dharamsala ODI promises to be a show-stopper.