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Cricket Players'Not trying to belittle their talent, or lack of talent...': Ramiz Raja's controversial remark on Bangladesh, Sri Lanka
PCB chairman Ramiz Raja made a rather unusual comment on Bangladesh and Sri Lanka teams when asked about the criticism surrounding pitch used in the Rawalpindi Test.
Pakistan are taking part in the second Test of the series against England in Multan; the side is trailing the three-match series 0-1, with the visitors winning the first game in Rawalpindi. The pitch used in the opening match of the series had come under significant criticism, as it hardly had any assist for bowlers. England broke the record for the highest score on the opening day of a Test, posting 506/4 in 75 overs.
It wasn't the first time when the pitch at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium was criticised by fans and former cricketers alike. Earlier this year, the ground produced another dull affair between Pakistan and Australia that ended in a draw; the International Cricket Council (ICC) also gave it a demerit point for the lifeless surface.
In an interview with Sky Sports Cricket, Ramiz opened up on the pitch concerns at the venue and made a rather strong remark. When former England captain Michael Atherton asked Ramiz about the reasons behind the lifeless pitch, the PCB chairman said that their “real test” was against Australia even when Bangladesh and Sri Lanka had toured the country before them, adding that the preparations made for the Australia Test had “backfired.”
“When you see previous instances, we had series against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. You didn't need a great pitch, unfortunately. I'm not trying to belittle the talent these teams possess, or lack of talent, (but) it was easier to beat them. South Africa was a good series but they don't travel well to subcontinent. So, our real test was always against Australia,” Ramiz said.
“The idea was to prepare a pitch that had reverse and spin. But because we don't have the mastery and artistry to prepare a five-day pitch, we struggled badly. We took the grass off and the pitch dried completely, and it backfired. In Multan, you know here that it will spin from ball one.”
The former Pakistan cricketer further added that the board also assigned Australian curators for the final Test of the series in Pakistan to ensure a result after two draws. Australia had won the third Test by 115 runs.
“But we haven't done a great deal regarding the science that goes behind, hence the drop-in pitch scenario. And I'm keen to experience that. We got Australian curators here, we assigned Australian curators for the last Test match against Australia to get a result. We were desperate,” said Ramiz.
