Here's the proof !!
Lahore Test wicket leaves most people disappointed
From Waheed Khan
LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), despite being unhappy with the pitch prepared for the first Test against India, has rushed its chief curator Agha Zahid to Faisalabad, the venue of the second Test from January 21.
A PCB official admitted that the first Test pitch had left everyone disappointed. "There is nothing in it and clearly it is not the sort that is an advantage to the home side," he said. Zahid and curator Haji Bashir were responsible for the preparation of the first Test surface and claim that the harsh winter weather hampered their efforts to prepare a lively track.
But instead they came up with a track with not a single blade of grass on it and in fact even on the day before the Test started the groundsmen were seen scuffing and shaving off grass from the pitch which negates their argument that they could not prepare a lively track.
"When you have some grass on the pitch the ball tends to hit the blades and deviate a† bit and that is good for the pacers. But this pitch is totally flat, there is no movement or turn for the bowlers. If Pakistan has any chance of winning this Test it would be if the ball starts keeping low," the official said.
Even Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq was not happy with the final pitch and was seen grumbling on the eve of the Test.
But sources said some of the Pakistan team players themselves were averse to any grass being left on the pitch, which added pressure on the curators."Last time when India toured Pakistan and there was some grass left on the surface for the three Tests the Pakistani players were not happy at all with the curators. This time we were told we should avoid leaving grass on the surface," a groundsman confirmed
The official said Zahid had now been told to try to ensure there was some life in the pitch for the second Test. "What we are worried about is that the weather might disrupt the match because there is forecast for a wet spell in Faisalabad next week."
Indian team coach Greg Chappell said on Saturday the pitch reminded him of the same track which was described as a graveyard for bowlers by the Australians after a Test played in Faisalabad in 1980.
"Chappell’s views are not entirely wrong, this pitch is very similar to that one it is perfect for batting," a commentator who witnessed that match said. The Pakistan captain had said before the Indians arrived in Pakistan that he would like to see hard and bouncy tracks for the Tests to support the pace bowlers.
But former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif made an interesting observation: "If you look at our cricket history you will see that when there is a batsman as a captain batting pitches have been prepared and when we have had bowling captains like Imran Khan or Wasim Akram generally the tilt has been towards pitches with some life in them," he stated.
Chappell at Saturday’s conference also had another interesting indirect take on why such a pitch was prepared for the first Test. According to what he hinted the pitch was prepared according to a game plan to tire out the Indian bowlers before the next two Tests.
