Former cricketers have rejected Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ramiz Raja's idea of installing drop-in pitches in the country.
After ex-captain Javed Miandad, former Test pacer Aqib Javed also opposed this idea. Ramiz Raja announced on the occasion of the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) season seven draft that Karachi and Lahore will get a drop-in pitch each as PCB look to revamp the quality of cricket across the country.
PCB also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Arif Habib Group in this regard. Both pitches have an estimated cost of Rs. 37 crores.
"It would not affect the quality, the grounds in New Zealand and Australia are used for different sports, therefore, drop-in pitches are used, this is not the case in Pakistan, we have separate cricket stadiums," Aqib said while interacting with media in Lahore.
"The amount spent on drop-in pitches can be used to make four standard pitches in each stadium, which can benefit our players by practising," he added.
Remember, Javed Miandad had also slammed this idea and said there is every kind of pitch in Pakistan.
"There is no need for drop-in pitches in Pakistan, every kind of pitch is made in Pakistan. We also became world-class players by playing on these pitches," Miandad said while talking to media at a local hotel in Karachi on Friday.
"Very few know this that basically the idea of the drop-in pitch was first introduced by Kerry Packer in Australia as he didn't have grounds to organize world cricket series," he added.