Inzamam-ul-Haq bemoans substandard Pakistan pitches

Chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq has begun his liaison with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as chief selector earlier this month. While many were expecting sweeping changes and reforms under the former Pakistan skipper, Inzamam has gone right to the roots of the problem. Having made the trip to Faisalabad for the opening match of the renovated domestic ODI league, Inzamam said that he’d like to see more sporting pitches featuring in the ODI tournament.

“I don’t think the pitches presently in use generally in domestic cricket or in the Pakistan Cup will help produce quality cricketers. It is not my domain to speak on pitches but they play an important role in producing quality players in every format,” the former Pakistan captain said.

The ongoing Pakistan Cup is into its fifth day, failing to produce eye-catching results. The pitches have been slow and sluggish wherein batsmen have failed to thrive, thus ensuring a few low-scoring results in the recently concluded matches in the league.

Inzamam added that ODI cricket meant that batsmen should be allowed to play their strokes and ample encouragement must also be given to the bowlers. He also stated that it was important to pick players who could perform in pressure situations and difficult conditions.

He said all players, including seniors like Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez, and Kamran Akmal, just have to perform well in domestic cricket to keep the selectors on their toes.

The ongoing Pakistan Cup is currently serving as a platform for the likes of Inzamam-ul-Haq to pick talent for the upcoming tour of England and subsequently the tour to Australia in the summer. A national conditioning camp is also expected to be set up in Abbottabad for the tours.

Also read – Change for Pakistan cricket will take time: Inzamam-ul-Haq