KARACHI, (Reuters) – Pitches being used at the Champions Trophy in South Africa are “dangerous”, Pakistan’s former test captain Javed Miandad said yesterday.
“(With) the sort of scary pitches they have prepared for such a big event it is not going to help the International Cricket Council (ICC) or its members keep interest in one-day internationals alive,” Miandad told Reuters.
“Some of the pitches they have played on can be ranked as dangerous. The bounce is inconsistent. Balls are kicking up from a good length. All this is not good for the survival of ODIs.”
Miandad, who played 124 tests and 233 one-day internationals and is now the director-general of cricket for the Pakistan board, said he was surprised at the inconsistent nature of pitches at the Wanderers and Centurion grounds.
“The pitches at Centurion have made matches one-sided with the side winning the toss having the advantage,” he added.
“The ICC is quick to monitor the pitches in member countries but they also need to talk to their curators about the pitches in the Champions Trophy,” he said.
The ICC moved the Champions Trophy to South Africa due to security concerns after it was postponed from its original date in Pakistan last year.
