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| January 18, 2006 | Wednesday | Zilhaj 17, 1426 |
Inzamam fears fans will stay away
LAHORE, Jan 17: Pakistan captain Inzamamul Haq has expressed fears that flat pitches which do not encourage results will eventually keep people away from Test matches in the country.
Inzamam did not hide his disappointment at the outcome of the high-scoring Test against India which ended in a draw on Tuesday.
“I know it is hard to get the right track in this cold weather, but the crowds we got back against England, with a hard-fought series on good pitches, will be discouraged if we have flat tracks against India,” he said.
Inzamam said the poor weather had made the last few days very difficult for the players.
“We just never got our rhythm going and it was a track which had nothing in it for the bowlers.”
Indian captain Rahul Dravid said he would not read too much into his team’s batting performance.
“It was a very good pitch for batting and very hard for the bowlers, but we wanted to make a statement in this Test and I think we did that. But it does not give us any psychological advantage for the second Test.
“In Faisalabad it will be a new match and I don’t think their bowlers would be bothered by what has happened here, although the batsmen who scored runs would have gained in confidence.”
He said the decision for him to open the innings had been taken with a view to giving India the best chance of trying to win. “But me playing as an opener is not a long-term solution and we will decide for the second Test after reaching Faisalabad.”
The Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Shaharyar Khan said experts would be consulted over relaying pitches more conducive to Tests.
“We are not going to blame anyone for the failure to have a good Test pitch in Lahore. I think the cold weather conditions played a big role in the groundsmen failing to get their task done properly,” he said.
He said the board was concerned and wanted to improve pitches and encourage more results.
“We will soon consult former players and pitch experts and see if there is a need to relay new pitches at Test venues in the country.”
He said the board’s chief curator had already been sent to Faisalabad to try to prepare a good hard track with some grass.—Reuters
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