‘Entire soil base will have to be removed’ – BCB rates Mirpur pitch as unsatisfactory

‘Entire soil base will have to be removed’ – BCB rates Mirpur pitch as unsatisfactory. (Photo Source: Twitter)

The Bangladesh Cricket Board, or BCB, had its officials in an unhappy state of mind to see the low bounce and slowness of the pitch at the iconic venue of Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur. In a statement on Friday, August 1, the board’s cricket operations president Nazmul Abedin stated that there will have to be certain revamps made to the wicket to make it lively and up to the standards the BCB strives for.

Abedin further stated that the pitch curators and the ground officials at the venue in Mirpur haven’t been able to keep the pitch up to the expectations, but also accepted that the cricketing schedule at the ground is usually packed, allowing little to no time for the changes to happen. However, Abedin stated that the board will try to accommodate time, which will allow for a refurbishment of the wicket to keep it up to the international standards.

“Overall, the Mirpur wicket is not satisfactory – we all accept that. We’ll have to work on this going forward. Perhaps the entire soil base will have to be removed. Or, the process through which the pitch is prepared will have to be changed. I hope that some changes will come in this area in the near future, and that we’ll see a better wicket in Mirpur,” Abedin said as quoted by Cricbuzz.

“If there had been grass on the wicket, then the ball’s colour might not have been damaged as much. Since there is no natural grass, when the ball comes into friction with the soil, it absorbs the colour of that soil, and eventually, a time comes when the ball appears less white and takes on a darker shade. That naturally affects visibility. So that is definitely a factor. Our board president made a correct observation or comment (in this regard),” he added.

BCB never demanded low, slow wicket

The cricket operations head also accepted that the board has no responsibility to ensure the readiness of the pitch, but it ultimately rests within the jurisdiction of the ground officials. He also said that the Bangladesh Cricket Board has never ever demanded to prepare a low or slow wicket, but whenever they’ve asked for a bouncy wicket, the demand ultimately hasn’t been met.

“I think there was an attempt to make it sporting, but they couldn’t do it, That responsibility lies with those who are in charge of preparing it. Because from our side—from the board’s side—I don’t think it was ever instructed that the wicket has to be low and slow. We’ve seen that whenever we wanted a better wicket, a bouncy wicket, often that didn’t happen. The usual reasons that are given relate to the nature of the soil there, or the environment, or the fact that too many matches are played on that pitch,” he said further.

There are no future matches scheduled currently at the SBNCS, Mirpur.