Drop-in pitches worth INR 37 crore to be installed in Karachi, Lahore

In order to enhance the quality of cricket across the country, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ramiz Raja has announced that Karachi and Lahore will get drop-in pitches. As pitches in the Asian conditions aren’t known to offer great bounce and carry, batters from this region struggle to tackle vicious bouncers in countries like South Africa and Australia. Hence, Raja decided to install drop-in pitches in two venues in order to make their players familiar with bounce-friendly tracks.

PCB also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Arif Habib Group in this regard during the players’ draft of Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2021. As per the agreement, both pitches have an estimated cost of INR 37 crore.

Meanwhile, a drop-in track is set to be installed at the Naya Nazimabad Cricket Stadium in Karachi while the other location will be announced later. The process for the installation of these pitches is expected to be completed in 2022. Once the process is done, PCB can organize domestic and junior-level matches in the stadium.

Pakistan team has struggled to cope with the extra bounce and pace: Ramiz Raja   

“The installation of drop-in pitches is surely going to benefit our players both at the domestic and international levels. Over the years, we have struggled to cope with the extra bounce and pace that some of the pitches in Australia and New Zealand provide,” Ramiz was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.

Raja also said the team is yet to win in Australia despite many talented players in the ranks. Hence, the bounce-friendly tracks would aid their preparations for overseas conditions. “Despite abundance of talent and ability, we are yet to win an away Test series in Australia while our record in New Zealand has also taken a beating in recent trips,” he added.

Meanwhile, the seventh season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) is scheduled to get underway on January 27 next year. All the six franchises have been finalized in the players’ draft which took place at the High-Performance Centre in Lahore on Sunday (December 12). As the previous editions of PSL has witnessed some mind-boggling action between the bat and the ball, expectations are sky high from the upcoming event as well.