Pakistan to install drop-in pitches to simulate Australian conditions

SENA nations have always been a difficult challenge for the Asian teams. Pakistan is also one country that has struggled in these conditions, especially in Australia and South Africa. They have never won a Test series in Australia and have been bullied by South Africa since 1992.

The arrival of Ramiz Raja as the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has changed the team’s fortune. Under him, Pakistan cricket is all set for a makeover. PCB has ordered two ready-made Australian pitches to simulate the conditions there. In an interview with ESPNcricinfo, Raja said, “Pitches are one of the more significant aspects in developing a cricketer.”

He also added that PCB has had a history of ignoring the importance of pitches, and it was one of the reasons the team failed in foreign conditions.

“This wasn’t given enough importance in the past, but for me as a cricketer and now a PCB chairman, its painful to see that it wasn’t given its due. Neither was it devised properly. It’s really an important element, and when I say I want to reset the GPS of Pakistan cricket it’s basically fixing the core of our cricket. And until pitches are not fixed, we aren’t going anywhere as it’s the heartbeat of cricket,” said Raja.

Pakistan’s cricketers have found it difficult to adjust on bouncy tracks. It is evident with the fact that the team has won only four out of 37 Tests against Australia and lost 26. In South Africa, Pakistan has won only two Tests out of 15 while suffering 12 losses.

Raja also believes that appointing high-profile coaches and onboarding the best support staff might have a very marginal impact on the performance of the team. PCB has spent over PKR 60 crores in the past couple of years to acquire the services of some of the best brains of the game. Despite that, the team lost series in South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia.

PCB’s eyes set on T20 World Cup 2022

After a dominating run in the T20 World Cup 2021, Pakistan will hope to continue the same in the tournament’s next edition. Australia will be hosting the T20 World Cup 2022. The installation of these two pitches will also help the team prepare for this upcoming tournament.

Raja added, “So with these pitches at two centres, we at least start preparing right and being competitive. We need to think out of the box and aspire to produce 180 degree players. Now, the T20 World Cup is in Australia, and to replicate the conditions we need to inject the drop-in pitches. This is an investment on generations.”

PCB has signed an MOU with Arif Habib Group to bring these pitches. The investment company will bear the expense of PKR 37 crores to procure these two artificial pitches.