"This is not a good advert for cricket" - PCB chairman Ramiz Raja unimpressed with Rawalpindi's pitch for 1st Test against England
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja has come down heavily on Rawalpindi's pitch for the ongoing first Test against England. The former opening batter criticized it, labeling it embarrassing and a bad advertisement for the format.
The quality of Test match pitches has become a point of scrutiny, given that plenty of runs were scored on Day 1.
England, led by Ben Stokes, went hammer and tongs on Pakistan's bowling attack as they smacked 506 for the loss of four wickets at the end of the first day. The tourists maintained a run rate of 6.74 to smash the world record.
This English performance is a response to people who say the following things:
"Oh there's a way Test Cricket is played"
"Oh but Test Cricket has a decorum of its own"
"Dont expect higher strike rates, its Test Cricket"
Play the game the way you want to. Break traditions.
Speaking to reporters during lunch on Day 2, Raja stressed they are a better cricketing nation than this and that it was humiliating as a former cricketer. The 60-year-old also revealed that exporting drop-in pitches from abroad would mean they would have to spend plenty of money.
"It is embarrassing for us, especially when you have a cricketer as chairman," Raza said. "This is not a good advert for cricket. We're a better cricketing nation than this. Ultimately, the only situation is a drop-in pitch. Which is extremely expensive if we're bringing it from abroad.
"Instead, we're developing soil here for drop-in pitches. That way, we can prepare square turners or bouncy wickets depending on what we want."
Raja continued:
"We have the same pitches because we get the same kind of soil. We've tried to bring a creator from abroad; we needed to bring a curator from Australia for the Lahore Test, because the situation had got out of hand. When I want a spinning pitch, we don't get that either, so it ends up being half and half. We don't want that."
The first Test against Australia, hosted by Rawalpindi earlier this year, was also a run-fest as Pakistan scored 728 runs for four wickets across two innings. The visitors also made 459 in the second innings.
"The board doesn't direct how pitches are made" - Ramiz Raja
Raja also denied his influence in preparing the pitches, stating that he has left it to the think tank to decide on the same. However, he admitted having hardly seen a batting display similar to England's on Day 1, adding:
"The board doesn't direct how pitches are made. I've left this to the think tank. We look at our strengths and then the pitch and then make selections. I try and limit my involvement because otherwise, I can't hold people accountable. For accountability, you have to cede control."
"I aim to create a pitch that ends up defining our tactics so a template is set," Raja added. "We've tried everything, bringing in a curator from abroad. Pitches are the lifeblood of cricket in a country, but having said that, I've never seen batting like England's on Day 1 either."
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After conceding 657 in the first innings, Pakistan's openers have been solid as Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq remained unbeaten, guiding their side to 181-0 at stumps.