World T20

[sunny-dave]

Started today with India v New Zealand.

Spoilers follow ...

[sunny-dave]

India asked for (and got) a ridiculously turning wicket - virtually unplayable when some of their spinners were bowling. This enabled them to rush out NZ for a paltry 126 ...

... but NZ had seen the pitch and packed their own team with spinners too - India ripped apart for a pitiful 79.

It's not actually cheating to request a doctored pitch - just rather against the spirit of the game - but it was very pleasing to see India humbled after such a dubious tactic.

[Buenchico]

In local club cricket and, indeed through to the County game, getting your groundsman to prepare a pitch that benefits your own side is a perfectly normal part of the game. It's also considered to be standard practice at Test level.

Perhaps it seems odd that teams playing at a neutral venue should be able to do the same thing but it simply adds in the extra 'home' or 'away' factor that applies throughout all other cricket.

Also, while the Super 10 stage might have only started today, the actual World T20 competition has been taking place for a week now. Unless I only imagined this, of course ;-)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjicXH8RGlw

[sunny-dave]

You are right, of course, Chris - my apologies to all the teams taking part in the preliminary stage - perhaps it was because Ireland had made such a Horlicks of their effort that I blanked it from my mind.

The 'home pitches' argument is interesting - as you say, home teams have always asked for surfaces that help their specialities. This is a bit different (being a 'world' competition rather than an Indian home series) - and also the degree of 'takes a bit of spin' fiddling was ridiculous in Nagpur today.

I hope the ICC might have a bit of a word with the curators of India's remaining matches ...