The Pakistan Cricket Board is pathetic

[TigerTank]

As cricket fans would know, England has just won the three test series in Pakistan 1-0. Or more correctly, Pakistan lost it.

The Pakistan Cricket Board stupidly ordered Pakistani curators to prepare spinners' wickets and dropped champion Waqar Younnis for much of the series. The result was two drawn (and drawn-out) tests, and a win for England in the final test.

Two key points:

1) Waqar Younnis was the only bowler to trouble England in the final taking 5 wickets for 115 (at an average of 23) after being excluded from the first two tests.

He did this on a flat spinners wicket, so one can only assume that he would have demolished England on a green top. More to the point, with a potential bowling line-up of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younnis, Shoab Aktar and Abdul Razzaq, WHY THE HELL WOULD THE PAKISTAN CRICKET BOARD WANT A FLAT SPINNERS TRACK ANYWAY???

And more importantly,

2) While Pakistan shot themselves in the foot with their request for a flat wicket, THE KEY POINT IS THERE SHOULD BE SOME CONSISTENCY ON WICKETS INTERNATIONALLY. The idea that a home nation can ask curators to prepare pitches to suit the home team is just ridiculous.

No wonder no one ever gets a result in India. A hack like me could probably score 50 on one of those dust bowls there, and I don't know how to play on the on-side.

There should be a standard that says a pitch should have characteristics that suit batsmen, pace bowlers and spinners. Any pitch that doesn't should not have test cricket played on it.



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TT - Obligatory bad-tempered Richmond supporter

 

[Bloodstained Angel]

Interesting poiunts there TT

I was watching thhe Cricket Show recently and they had on a report about cricket in India (circumstances and conditions in Pakistan are very similar)

The point was made that in a country of over 1 billion cricket-mad people and with registered grade players at around 10 million then India should easily be the world's greatest cricket team - question is why aren't they ?

The reason is this insistance by the Cricket Authorities in preparing wickets that are dusty, dry, flat and a spinners paradise. The result is that the Indian (and Paki) teams maybe very difficult to beat at home on such wickets BUT then because the team has no decent experience on other types of wickets in other countries then the national team really struggles accordingly.

Pakistan and India should be unbeatable, such is the level of support and interest in cricket in these huge countries, but, because of this stupid and short-sighted policy of preparing spinners wickets, these teams remain uncompetitive.

a shame.

 

[TigerTank]

Yes BSA, you could easily replace "Pakistan" with "India" and replace "Waqar" with some up-and-coming Indian paceman who never got his chance because of pitches that offered no encouragement.

It may be the Indian and Pakistani Cricket Boards' own conservatism and lack of courage that has prevented them from having a Lloyd-Windies-style domination.

Nevertheless, if Cricket authorities want Test Cricket to become consistently exciting (and hence retain or even attract new spectators), the first place to start is by demanding pitches that encourage exciting cricket.

If that means dragging the Indian and Pakistani Cricket Boards kicking and screaming into the world of modern, professional sport, then so be it.

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TT - Obligatory bad-tempered Richmond supporter

 

[Bloodstained Angel]

yes - and somebody should point out to these guys that it is in their best interests to do so as quickly as possible.

An Indian (or Paki) team that could tour and play competitive cricket on foreign pitches would be the best in the world - bar none.

 

[Dipper]

TigerTank I agree with you in general when you say that there should be a recognized standard of Test wickets-personally as long as a wicket has got pace in it then I think that you will get a good game for the spectators as runs will be scored quickly,the pace men have an incentive to bend their backs & lest we forget that spinners actually need pace in the pitch because with slow turn they can't bowl sides out as in Pakistan.The best pitches are ones that have a bit of help for the quicks on day 1,turn into good batting pitches for days 2&3 & then start turning on day4 & really spin quite a lot on the last day,having said this I don't want test pitches to be the same everywhere as going to play on spinning tracks in India/Pakistan is part of the fun of Test cricket-& when we come to Australia we know that Perth is gonna be real quick,that Sydney will spin & that Adelaide is good for the batters.
On your point about Pakistan playing on turners & saying that they would have demolished England on a green top I agree that their pace attack is probably better than their spin attack(although Shaib Akthar was injured)but England's strength is our pace attack & believe me we can give anyone a game on a green top-the Pakistanis assumed (wrongly) that Engalnd would collapse on turning wickets & so put all their eggs in one basket.
To compare India with Pakistan is also wrong I think,living in England we have lots of Pakistani & Indian immigrants & I tell you whilst some Pakistanis(usuually from the mountain areas)are big strong bastards who are perfect for fast bowling ie Waqar,Wasim,Shaoib in India most of the blokes are skinny & only good for being spinners(stereotyphe I know but it's true)plus as well Pakistanis are aggressive buggers whilst Indians are quite mellow & un threatening & tempermentally don't make as good quick bowlers.Reading this last bit back even I can see that it is heavy stereotypeing but what the f@ck I know its true(on the whole) so I don't feel the need to be too Politically Correct.
Cheers

[This message has been edited by DIPPER (edited 03 January 2001).]