Sabina pitch to offer bounce, pace

Jermaine Lannaman, Gleaner Writer

Sabina Park's chief curator, Charles Josephs, says the pitch that will be used for Thursday's fifth and final Digicel Pearls One-Day International between the West Indies and India could offer more bounce and pace than the ones that have been used in the series thus far.

According to Josephs, who has been a curator at the venue since 1962, said the aim is to produce a bouncy and true pitch, and despite a few setbacks due to the recent heavy rain, preparations are on track.

"I expect us to have a wicket that bounces more than the ones that we have seen in the eastern Caribbean," Joseph's told the Sunday Gleaner.

"We have always dedicated ourselves to producing hard, true pitches that are good for both batsmen and bowlers alike, and despite losing a couple days due to rain, I expect us to meet our aim."

Slow and flat

The issue of pitch preparation has been the main talking point since the start of the 2011 Digicel home series, which has also included Pakistan, with West Indies captain Darren Sammy describing the ones that were used in places like Guyana, St Kitts and Trinidad and Tobago, as slow and flat.

These pitches, he pointed out, are better suited for spinners than fast bowlers, and with Pakistan and India having quality spinners in their line-up, the West Indies has been at a disadvantage.

"We had the same experience against Pakistan and even then, the pitches supported them," lamented Sammy at a press conference following the team's recent one-off Twenty20 clash against India in Trinidad two weeks ago.

"It's a home series, but it feels like ... the pitches are out of our control. We can only ask for what we want, but it's up to the groundsman to prepare it," he added.

Sammy's comments also came against the backdrop that during the last year's ICC World Twenty20 championship, which was held here in the Caribbean, the West Indies defeated India on a bouncy track.

Back then, the team used the short ball to pin India's batsmen down, and according to Sammy, the team requested similar strips for the on-going series only to be disappointed.

"We have requested for bouncy pitches, but as I said, we don't prepare the pitches," he said.

Meanwhile, the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) has increased the number of crew members associated with the preparation of the Sabina Park pitch.According to Oneil Cruickshank, cricket operations officer of the JCA, the decision to increase the numbers comes in the wake of the recent heavy rains, which pushed back preparations a couple of days.

"The rains affected our preparations ... we have not been able to do the things we want according to our plans," Cruickshank, who is responsible for overseeing preparation of the wicket, said last Wednesday.

He added: "This has resulted in an increase of the workforce from six to 12 so as to give ourselves enough chance of preparing the pitch that will be used in the match, as well as the practice pitches. At this stage, I would say we are about 75 per cent ready in our preparations, and once the rain stays away, I am confident that we will have a hard, true pitch for the match."

The ODI will be the first of two matches scheduled for Sabina Park during the series.

The other is the first Test match, which will be played from Monday, June 20 to Friday, June 24.

The members of the West Indies and India teams are scheduled to arrive in the island on Tuesday.