THE West Indies cricket team left Caribbean shores for Sri Lanka in early October to take on the Lankans in a three-match T20 series followed by a three-match ODI (One Day International) tournament.
At the conclusion of the contests, the WI found themselves losing both competitions by two to one margins. Before the first T20 game was played the WI were lying third on the international table in that format so it was no surprise when they left the field victorious in the first clash.
Nevertheless, two days later when the teams met again in the second meeting any confidence gained by the West Indians was quickly eradicated and the cheerful smiles of a winning team were suddenly switched to disconcerted frowns.
Playing in front of a packed Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, the Caribbean cricketers were presented with an unfit pitch for an international T20 tournament. It is all well and good to say that any team playing at home has a home advantage.
However, that does not mean that one has the inalienable right to under-prepare a wicket to such an extent that it is almost unplayable when facing the bowlers suitable for that surface.
The essence of a cricket game lies in the surface of what the players of both teams have been given to contest their superiority. The integrity of the game suffers if proper pitches are not prepared.
[caption id="attachment_1117424" align="alignnone" width="1024"] West Indies’ Brandon King is bowled by Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga during the first ODI in Pallekele, Sri Lanka, on October 20, 2024. - AP PHOTO[/caption]
This is not an excuse, but revealing something that is no different from scarring the ball and disfiguring it, to alter its seam or leather surface. A decent pitch for an international T20 game is governed by certain rules to make it fair to all concerned. A wicket could have some turn because of the soil and the weather conditions while preparing it. A good spinner can exploit most pitches on Asian cricket fields, so there was no need to doctor the pitch to that extent, on which one already held an advantage.
For instance, the third T20 was a better-prepared wicket for an international game, and Sri Lanka won. WI played better in the first game, while Sri Lanka used the conditions better in the third game. However, the under-preparation was too obvious in the second match.
The rules that were designed for all limited-overs games are that the wickets must be true and prepared in such a way as to encourage batsmen’s strokes to flourish. The reason behind this was for the spectators to be entertained by the runs flowing off the batsmen’s bats; the main purpose behind the origin of limited-overs games.
Also, bowlers are limited in their number of overs because if they’re bowling too well, their opponents may be dismissed for a non-competitive score.
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An example is similar to what occurred in the recent World Cup T20 semi-final at the Brian Lara Stadium between South Africa
