The stadium and the facilities on offer there play an important role in magnifying the attraction of cricket. A look around the Punjab Cricket Association stadium will offer ample testimony to that.

Care has been attributed here to even the minutest details, from dressing room to seating in the gallery. It is a far cry from a venue like the Nehru stadium in Guwahati, venue of the first one-dayer between India and Pakistan, where one has to struggle even for basic amenities.

The opening game of an interesting series between India and Pakistan needed a far more attractive venue than the Nehru stadium.

The players need an electrifying atmosphere to come up with a charged-up performance, and the venue plays an important role in this. Sadly, Nehru stadium did not reach to that level on Monday.

"To be frank, we have been trying our best for the last few weeks to make the stadium and the facilities up to international standards. But we need more time to catch up with some other major venues in the country. But things are better here from the last time," an Assam Cricket Association official said.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India, with its vast resources, can help certain State associations like the ACA to speed up the developmental works. Till then, the Board must give big matches only to major centres.

They can also categorise the venues into A, B and C and allot matches according to their importance to each States, but the flip side of the move is that small town spectators might be deprived of classy action. Besides, the voting rights of State associations in BCCI elections also play a major role in where matches are staged.

But till these venues have better facilities, the powers that be should put the rotation system and other petty concerns aside while allotting matches. Such a move will only add to the charm of cricket.