KARACHI: The chief curator of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Aga Zahid is likely to visit Karachi’s National Bank Cricket Arena in a few days to inspect the preparation of pitches for the ODI matches against New Zealand, ‘The News’ has learnt.
Three matches will be played in Karachi, on May 3, 5 and 7. It is pertinent to mention here that since the return of international cricket, the quality of pitches has been a matter of concern.
During the Test series against Australia, England and New Zealand, many people complained that Pakistani pitches provided no support to bowlers.
It must be noted that only 14 wickets fell in the Rawalpindi Test between Australia and Pakistan. Batting first, Pakistan declared their innings at 476 for four. In reply, Australia scored 459 before being bowled out. In the second innings, Pakistan scored 252 without a loss of wicket.
To overcome the problem, the revamping process of the pitches has kicked off at Karachi’s stadium, and sources connected to the development revealed that Agha Zahid is at the forefront of the process.
“About 50 percent development work related to the pitches is complete, which includes the hardness and greenness of the wickets, while the remaining work will be done upon the final advice of Agha Zahid before the New Zealand matches,” a source said.
“The ground staff is working tirelessly to prepare pitches that provide a suitable balance between the bat and the ball,” the source added.
ODI Series schedule
27 Apr – 1st ODI, Rawalpindi
29 Apr – 2nd ODI, Rawalpindi
3 May – 3rd ODI, Karachi
5 May – 4th ODI, Karachi
7 May – 5th ODI, Karachi
Syed Intikhab Ali Syed Intikhab Ali is a reporter for The News