GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Apr 1, CMC — Head curator Wasim Habib believes the Guyana National Stadium pitch will be good cricket wicket capable of producing high totals, during the upcoming three-match One-Day International series between West Indies and Pakistan.
The strip here has developed a reputation of being flat and sluggish, reflected in the low scores during last year’s Tri-Nations Series involving Australia and South Africa.
However, Habib said that with the newly re-laid pitches for the April 7-11 series, he expected both the faster bowlers and batsmen to find assistance.
“Based on the pitches that we are preparing it should be great for one-day cricket. The outfield is very quick and it will get better by time of the game,” he told the Guyana Times newspaper here.
“It is a new soil, a new foundation. This is one we laid last, hopefully it will be better than the one we used to have. It should be more of a quick pitch and a little more bounce.”
The highest score at the ground during last year’s Tri-Nations came when West Indies chased down 188 to beat South Africa.
However, batsmen struggled and the slower bowlers prospered, with off-spinner Sunil Narine getting six wickets in the same match.
There was a similar story when Pakistan toured in 2013, with 232 being the highest total in the two ODIs at the ground.
Habib said the composition of the new pitches meant that batsmen would find it easier to score while spinners could find the assistance limited.
“The pitch we are trying to do is more grass based and we trying to roll it in so spin might not be a factor,” he pointed out. “We are trying to get a pitch that lasts 100 overs and gives really good and exciting cricket.”
West Indies face Pakistan in the first ODI here next Friday.