Pakistan install drop-in pitches to prepare for T20 World Cup in Australia

In an interesting development, Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Ramiz Raja has informed that Pakistan will be developing drop-in pitches in Karachi and Lahore. The move is aimed at the T20 World Cup which is scheduled to be hosted in Australia later next year.

Raja explained that Pakistan have consistently struggled in those kinds of pitches because of the unfamiliarity with the surfaces and the best way to deal with it is to emulate the conditions here at their home. Raja took the reference of the recently held domestic matches in the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore and stated that those pitches were horrible and it is not possible to produce power hitters if the domestic players keep playing in those conditions.

He argued that to improve in foreign conditions, Pakistan need to play in drop-ins and in hybrid pitches, where grass is artificially sewn to the ground after preparing a pitch naturally.

To make it possible, PCB have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Arif Habib Group which will cost them a total of PKR 37 crores.