Thaindian News

Mumbai, May 10 (IANS) The Indian cricket board has rubbished media reports that the pitch at Jaipur’s Sawai Mansingh Stadium for Monday night’s Indian Premier League (IPL) game between Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings was changed to suit the visitors.

IPL chairman Chirayu Amin, also a board vice president, said the pitch was changed on the recommendations of its Ground and Pitches Committee.

“The BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) wishes to clarify that the wicket used in the match between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, played at Jaipur on 9th May 2011, was as per the decision of the curator and the Ground and Pitches Committee. This decision was taken in the best interests of the game,” said Amin.

A livid Rajasthan Royals captain Shane Warne said Monday he was shocked to be told which pitch to play on and how to prepare for their home game against Chennai Super Kings.

Warne was angry about the fact that the pitch didn’t offer any home advantage to Rajasthan Royals and they lost the match by 63 runs.

“But it is a shame that we are the only home team to not get what we want,” Warne said.

Amin added that neither of the playing teams have a say in selecting the wicket.

“It is the curator, in consultation with the Ground and Pitches Committee chairman, who prepares the wickets,” he said.

Amin said the advice for all the host associations was that “the pitches should have good pace and consistent bounce”.

“The committee members have visited a number of the IPL venues both before and, where necessary, during the season, and made appropriate recommendations, the priority being to ensure competitive and quality cricket,” he said.

Venkat Sundaram, chairman of Ground and Pitches Committee, said the extreme heat and excessive wear and tear makes it impossible to play on the same track all through the tournament.

“Our primary objective is to provide good playing surfaces, which will be fair to both teams. The IPL is being played at the end of the Indian domestic season, and after the World Cup. Therefore, the main pitches are bound to have wear-and-tear. The extreme heat prevailing all over the country has also taken its toll. Hence, it becomes necessary to change the pitches in some cases, as good playing conditions will result in good cricket,” said Sundaram.