For people like me, the pitch is like a god: M Kothandaram
"That is such a flat wicket, why not just replace the bowler with bowling machines?" "If the wicket is going to turn square from day one, what are the batsmen supposed to do?" "Why can't there be a wicket that has a little something for everyone?"
These are but some of the thoughts running through the minds of every fan, commentator, and player anytime the pitch used doesn't conform to their idea of what a good wicket should be. Whether it is a Test match, ODI or T20, the complaints are the same and no one is ever truly happy with the type of pitches on offer.
But what everyone fails to realize is just how difficult it is to set wickets and the amount of effort that goes into making the surface that is used for a TNPL match in Tirunelveli or a Test match in Trent Bridge. Or the fact that the curator is often a slave to the conditions at the venue. Or just the fact that humans don't control the weather.
How many of us even know that the most important element of preparing a wicket is binding it with cut grass? Or the fact that preparing a wicket in a place like Tirunelveli where the winds are howling at great speed throughout is far from a bed of roses? To answer these questions, Sportskeeda spoke to M Kothandaram, ground in charge for the Tamil Nadu Premier League games at Tirunelveli.
"To set the pitch in Tirunelveli is very difficult. The winds here are very strong and we can only prepare the pitches when we are one with nature. Only when the winds are light can we bind the wicket with cut grass. Only if you do that will the wicket stay together and be even. At other grounds, wind and the conditions aren't like this so we can prepare the wicket at any time," says M Kothandaraman.
The strong winds in Tirunelveli mean that the curators often have to be content with setting the pitches in the middle of the night when there is nothing more than a soft breeze. That also means that there is no set schedule as to when the pitches are prepared for the game and it all depends on the wind, so the ground staff has to be on high alert at all times.
"At other grounds, you can come early in the morning, set the wicket, let it dry and then use the roller and sweeper to get the wicket ready. But in Tirunelveli, the strong winds blow away the cut grass and that is why it is very difficult to set the wicket here."
"For people like me, the pitch is like a god"
That amount of work into preparing a wicket each day would drive some mad but Kothandaraman believes that the care and effort that is put into creating the pitch will always be rewarded.
"Like how we help a new-born child by taking care and being there at all times, to prepare a pitch, we need to make a lot of sacrifices. The same amount of importance that we give to our family needs to be given to the pitch as well. For people like me, the pitch is like a god," he adds.
Given all the difficulties that come along with just making a pitch, is it any wonder that sometimes the desired result isn't possible? Kothandaraman believes that irrespective of which part of the world that we are in and the format for which the pitches are prepared, nature holds the key.
While he admits that the aim is to prepare a hard wicket for a TNPL match, which will "provide plenty of runs and entertainment" for the fans who flock to the ground that is not always possible.
"We cannot just decide and do something. Wherever you are in the world, you can only create the type of pitch that nature allows. Sometimes you plan to set the wicket in the afternoon and the sun isn't beating down, which means that wicket won't set properly so you have to alter your plans. We have to make do with the helping hand provided by nature and then do our job," he says.
So the next time you start to criticize a pitch because it doesn't conform to your unreal expectations of what it should be like, remember the amount of effort that went into making this possible. Remember the fact that the curator is often a slave to the conditions at the venue or just the fact that humans don't control the weather.
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