Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman, Ramiz Raja has responded to the criticism on the pitch conditions on offer at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium for the first Test match between Pakistan and Australia.
Ramiz said that he understands the frustration of the fans and it is always a disappointment when a Test match ends in a draw. He said that while the criticism is justified, the fans do need to understand that the pitch cannot change instantly and it takes time to develop a new pitch.
The 59-year old said that while changing the nature of the pitches is the need of the hour, the pitch for the recently concluded Test match was prepared keeping in mind the strength of the opposition and our own team.
He stated that Pakistan had suffered a setback as Hasan Ali and Faheem Ashraf were ruled out due to injury which disrupted their original plans. He further stated that the team was wary of a strong Australian unit and had to plan accordingly without playing the match into the opposition’s hands.
Former World Cup winner stated that he realizes that the need to change the pitches in the country is of the utmost priority but the PCB was unable to transform the nature of the pitches due to time constraints. He said that the PCB will ensure that around 60 pitches all over the country are transformed in the off-season.
He said that once Pakistan’s home season ends in April, the PCB will focus on changing the pitches by importing soil from Australia. He further stated the PCB has also experimented using locally available soil which will also be used in making the new pitches.
