Share

Pollock, Gavaskar criticise Wanderers pitch

Johannesburg - Former Test captains Shaun Pollock and Sunil Gavaskar on Thursday criticised the pitch being used for the third and final Test between South Africa and India at the Wanderers Stadium.

The former South African and Indian captains were commenting while examining the pitch for SuperSport television during the tea break on the second day of a match in which batsmen have struggled throughout.

Pointing to cracks and indentations on a good length, with graphics showing extravagant movement and unpredictable bounce, Pollock said: "If you've got deliveries behaving like this on day two of a Test match it can't be judged a good surface."

He compared the Wanderers pitch to one which was condemned as "poor" by the International Cricket Council when South Africa toured India in 2015.

"You go to India and get a surface like Nagpur where it turned too much. This can't be judged a good surface because as a batsman you are never in."

Gavaskar said pitches needed to give both batsmen and bowlers a fair chance.

"You can get a very flat surface which is totally in favour of batsmen. This is a pitch which is totally in favour of bowlers," he said.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
67% - 745 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
33% - 370 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE