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ICC and flat pitches?

deira

Banned
why doesn't ICC do anything about the flat pitches issue? Test cricket is becoming so dull because of the flat pitches and drawn matches.
 

Unattainableguy

State 12th Man
There are less draws now than ever before.
There should be no draws at all. Or atleast 90-95% of the games should have a result, at the moment it's not even close. ICC should have something like a committee that would inspect all the pitches, and then if a pitch is flat, fine the home team or do something that would stop them from preparing dead pitches, so that countries like India stop taking unfair advantage when they prepare flat tracks because they're leading a series to make sure other team has no chance of a comeback.
 

silentstriker

The Wheel is Forever
In the 2000s, India's record in India is 15-7-13. This is about 39% of games that are draws. I would say if they can get the figure to about 25%, it would be a pretty good move.
 

slugger

State Vice-Captain
just do what Steve Waugh suggested.. touring team always choses to bat or ball (no coin toss).
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Nah, awful idea, detracts from home advantage.

In any case, it won't alter things much on flat pitches - whether you bat first or second, the outcome is likely to be the same.

Anyway, agree with ss that no-one wants to take the draw out of the equation, nor do we want to completely abolish the easy-paced pitch which offers neither seam nor spin.

And why do I$C$C not do something about it? Well it's they and their member countries who want the flat pitches - like it or not, Test-matches need to go 5 days, really, because when they don't there's quite a bit of revenue-loss. What'd be good would be if we could find a happy-medium where most Tests lasted 5 days without being battathons.
 

silentstriker

The Wheel is Forever
home advantage is your crowd..
And your pitch, and your enviornment. If you produce a fair pitch that simply aids your bowlers, then it shouldn't matter who wins the toss, so since you got to prepare the pitch, its only fair that the opposition calls the toss.
 

simmy

International Regular
Tbh... its the cricket in the subcontinent that is the most dull.

Cricket in England and New Zealand is by far the most interesting because the pitches arent slow and there is something in them for everyone.

I am far less excited when watching a test in Sri Lanka than when England are playing at home for example.
 

silentstriker

The Wheel is Forever
Tbh... its the cricket in the subcontinent that is the most dull.

Cricket in England and New Zealand is by far the most interesting because the pitches arent slow and there is something in them for everyone.

I am far less excited when watching a test in Sri Lanka than when England are playing at home for example.
I have to disagree a bit. I enjoy it when the pitches help the spinners. It's rare in world cricket, and I wouldn't want to lose that. I like pitches that turn from day one.

I don't particularly like spinners, but I don't want to see an entire art die.
 

Glacier

School Boy/Girl Cricketer
Its not flat pitches that annoy me. Its pitches that are flat for the first 3 or 4 days and then suddenly become unpredictable like the one at Bangalore. Basically makes tosses more important then they should be. Sure winning the toss has to have some advantage but on these sort of pitches I'd reckon its a case of win the toss, win the match more times then not.
 

slugger

State Vice-Captain
bangalore
P W1 W2 T D %R Ave Ave1 Ave2 Ave3 Ave4 R/6b

17 7 3 0 7 59% 33.77 37.7 33.6 34.4 23.5 2.94
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Its not flat pitches that annoy me. Its pitches that are flat for the first 3 or 4 days and then suddenly become unpredictable like the one at Bangalore. Basically makes tosses more important then they should be. Sure winning the toss has to have some advantage but on these sort of pitches I'd reckon its a case of win the toss, win the match more times then not.
Yeah, they're bad too. I like a pitch that stays the same for as long as possible personally. If it's going to turn - turn from the first day, not just on day-five. If it's going to seam - seam throughout the match, not just in the first couple of sessions.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Tbh... its the cricket in the subcontinent that is the most dull.

Cricket in England and New Zealand is by far the most interesting because the pitches arent slow and there is something in them for everyone.

I am far less excited when watching a test in Sri Lanka than when England are playing at home for example.
Hmm, not sure exactly what you've been watching but there've been some awfully dreary pitches in England between 2002 and 2006, and likewise in New Zealand especially in 2003\04 and 2004\05.

By-and-large, Sri Lankan wickets are decent, in that most of them offer something to spin. It's only SSC that tends towards the stupidly flat.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Nah. It detracts from unfair home advantage. The home board can still prepare pitches however they like.
As I said - for mine you either have to leave it to 50\50 luck or you have to bring some skill-related thing into it. Hate the idea that the touring team chooses by default - who's to say what "unfair" home advantage is?
 

slugger

State Vice-Captain
50/50 still works under the idea of touring team making the choice regardless... aust in eng.. aust chose 5 times. and visa versa for eng in aust.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
It doesn't, though - why should the touring side automatically get the advantage?

IMO it should be decided by something skill-related, not arbitarily by who's the home side, nor by the 50\50 chance of the flip of a coin.
 

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