Guwahati, Feb. 5: The Assam Cricket Association has involved BCCI expert Venkat Sundaram in the preparation of the wicket at Barsapara stadium to give a fillip to the quality of pitches in the state.
ACA secretary Bikash Baruah said Sundaram, who is the chairman of the BCCI pitches and grounds committee, will tomorrow visit the stadium, and suggest measures to prepare practice wickets in the complex at Barsapara ground.
"The initiative is taken keeping in view minutes of an ACA technical committee meeting held on March 21 last year where it was observed that dearth of proper wickets was one of the reasons for the state failing to produce quality players. It was decided that sporting wickets should be developed to groom players and we are starting the process with the pitches at the Barsapara ground," he said.
He also said similar initiatives would be taken in most of its 34 affiliated district units.
"Experts often tell us that due to lack of proper wickets our players can neither hone their skills in batting or bowling," the ACA secretary said.
He cited the example of the dismal performance by state cricketers in the last season and admitted that it was because of a dearth of exclusive cricket grounds at the disposal of ACA and its affiliated units. "Our spinners failed miserably and so did the batsmen. Had they been groomed in proper wickets, their quality would have been different," Baruah said.
The stadium in Barsapara ground, of which the in-stadia pitches have been laid and are almost ready to play, will be used exclusively for cricket.
The technical committee he referred to, had also resolved to train up groundsmen to develop quality pitches and Baruah said steps would be taken in this regard too.
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