Can PCB tackle substandard pitches issue?

KARACHI: The poor pitches prepared by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for the Test series against Australia, England, and New Zealand during the reign of Ramiz Raja severely exposed our defensive mindset, and the problem will not be easy for Najam Sethi to resolve either.

Even though Sethi took serious notice of the issue by forming a committee just after becoming the Chairman before the 2nd Test against New Zealand in Karachi, that pitch was also a complete batting pitch.

In discussions with this scribe, pitch curators involved with PCB in the past revealed multiple reasons for below-average pitches. They said that pitch curation is a sensitive part of the game, and curators today are not good at preparing wickets.

They added that PCB did a good job by inviting international curators like Andy Atkinson and Damien Hough to give guidelines, but the curators’ inexperience and team management’s defensive approach impeded progress on this front. Sources said that Pakistan team management seems reluctant to play on bouncy or spinning tracks for fear of defeat.

"Hence, bringing the Australian soil or inviting international curators is not a solution until we change our approach," a curator said. It is pertinent to mention that the issue of pitches came up when PCB prepared a batting pitch for the first Test against Australia in March 2022 at Pindi Stadium, a ground famous for assisting pacers.

The ICC rated the Rawalpindi pitch “below average” in December against England, while touring commentators Naseer Hussain and Simon Doull said Pakistani pitches were like ''roads.''

Sources added that it was strange that Pakistan’s most experienced curators Ehsan Arain, Muhammad Khan, and Naimat who have the art of preparing surfaces that provide an equal balance between the bat and ball are not called for resolving the issue.

The 10-year period (2009-2019) in which there was no Test cricket in Pakistan, the pitch curation department was affected, sources said. With Test cricket not taking place for a long time now, the PCB should tackle the issue as such pitches will further dent Pakistan’s image.