Ranji Trophy 2019-20 | Need sporting pitches with teams scoring 300-350, not 500-plus, asserts Wasim Jaffer
Veteran batsman Wasim Jaffer hopes that Ranji Trophy will have sporting pitches for this season with teams batting first scoring 300-350, instead of posting 500-plus scores. Jaffer has also added that a sporting pitch will help the national selectors make the right estimates about players.
With the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament done, it is time for the second phase of the domestic season comprising the Ranji Trophy followed by the Irani Cup. With the massive volume of cricket ahead that BCCI and its state associations will need to grapple with, Jaffer — the most capped Ranji player — has one recommendation to offer.
“I want first-class matches to be played on sporting pitches. A sporting pitch for me is where the team batting first scores 300-350. Not 500 or 600. If the game is too dependent on the toss, we have lost the battle straight away,” Jaffer told ESPNCricinfo.
However, with the tendency of the host association to set up conditions suitable to the home side, Jaffer reckons the national board can give more power to the match referee. He substantiated his claim by pointing out that such a change will only do good for Indian cricket in the long run.
“The BCCI needs to give more power to the match referee. I have seen the odd match played in conditions that are very favourable to the host association. Ideally, the match referees have all the rights to reprimand them, but they don't. If the pitches are sporting and the conditions are even for both teams, where everyone - batsman, fast bowler, spinner - is involved, then Indian cricket will improve,” he said.
“The other advantage of having a sporting pitch is that if a player excels in a demanding situation the selectors can gauge the value of such a performance and that can help in the longer run,” Jaffer added.
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