‘Phir bhi tum achi wicket nahin bana paoge’ – Fans unimpressed as reports of ‘Ekana Stadium Pitch Renovation’ surfaces online

The wicket at the Ekana Stadium, Lucknow has been under fire since January this year. It all started after a T20I game between India and New Zealand with the game going in the last over despite both teams scoring less than 200 runs combined. In the ongoing IPL 2023, some of the Lucknow Super Giants’ home games have seen some ridiculously low-scoring games.

Meanwhile, with the ODI World Cup a few months away, the Indian Cricket Board has decided to revamp the pitch. However, this time around, the board will have more time as it will be done in the off-season after the IPL 2023.

“Indian Cricket Board had decided to send a panel of curators to look after the pitch in Lucknow. They decided to do grassing on the square in such a short time frame. That has backfired. The pitches have stayed undercooked,” an Indian Cricket Board source told TOI.

“Indian Cricket Board curators told UPCA to redo the pitches and it was outsourced to a contractor in the first week of February. It takes six weeks for the pitches to settle down after the grassing. But it takes care and minute monitoring right through. UPCA has spent a lot on the surface but nobody really cared after the contract was handed out. Nobody really looked after the square. Hence, nothing worked,” the source said.

Lucknow Super Giants didn’t practice at Ekana Stadium ahead of IPL 2023

“The team didn’t have any idea about the surface when they went to play the first match. In the first match against Delhi Capitals, the pitch was covered with a heavy layer of grass. Nobody could gauge how the underneath surface was. And it all unravelled very quickly,” the source said.

“Lucknow is slated to host World Cup matches in October-November. Perhaps, that forced the BCCI’s hand. They will have to renovate the surface during the off season after the IPL,” the source said.

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