The Hindu : Sport/Cricket : Inzamam, not Youhana altered pitch: Atkinson

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 04, 2004

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Sport - Cricket

Inzamam, not Youhana altered pitch: Atkinson

LAHORE, APRIL 3. It was skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq, who masterminded the change in the shape of the track and not his deputy Yousuf Youhana and the latter was now being targeted following the team's defeat, according to curator Andy Atkinson.

``It was the skipper who directed me to cut the grass off the wicket in Multan,'' asserted Atkinson, adding that Youhana is being made the scapegoat following the team's innings defeat.

The curator was categorical in his assertion that there was a difference of views within the team (Pakistan) about the kind of pitch they should have. "The bowlers wanted grass on the wicket and seaming conditions to help them, while the team management wanted a batting track."

Atkinson rubbished reports that the Pakistan Cricket Board pulled him up for the Multan track saying no one from the PCB pulled me up and added it was skipper Inzamam and team manager Haroon Rashid who asked him to shave the grass off the wicket.

``Inzamam met me just twice in this series, once when I congratulated him for the Karachi hundred and the second time when he asked me to shave the wicket off the grass. He can't look me in the eye. He is a coward,'' said Atkinson.

``He (Inzamam) was unhappy about the Peshawar wicket also, because I gave some juice to it and it seamed around a bit. He made sure after that to have wickets with no seam movement. He just wanted hard and bouncy tracks for his fast bowlers,'' Atkinson said.

It has been reported in the local media that Youhana had asked for the grass to be cut. He did it because of worry over his own form with the bat.

However, Atkinson's views were clear: ``No, he never said this. I can't be blamed. After all I didn't bowl long hops and half volleys. I didn't get run out with the bat in the wrong hand,'' he said.

PCB gets tough

Wiser by the Multan Test debacle, the PCB announced it would also have a say in pitch preparation.

``Obviously we will take the team management into confidence but we are going to be there to give our inputs and have proper say after the Multan experience,'' Rameez Raja, chief executive of the PCB, said.

The Lahore pitch sports a lot of grass but it remains to be seen if it stays the same on Monday when the teams take to the field.

The board is not taking any risk and has instructed Atkinson not to make any change without PCB's approval.

``Looking ahead to Lahore, I have asked Atkinson not to do anything with the pitch till I tell him to. Till now, we used to let the team management have their way in the matter, but now the PCB will also have a say,'' Rameez announced.

UNI/ANI

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