PORT-OF-SPAIN – West Indies head coach Ottis Gibson wants to see an improvement in the quality of pitches, not only for future editions of the Limacol Caribbean Premier League (CPL), but for all formats of the game.
His comments echo similar sentiments by observers and commentators during and after the CPL which climaxed here Saturday.
“That’s always been my concern,” Gibson told the Express newspaper.
“You watch it in India and the pitches are flat and the scores are high and batsmen can hit through the ball with freedom. T20 cricket needs that and, unfortunately, that is one of our biggest challenges right now – to prepare better pitches, not just in this format but in all formats.”
Jamaica Tallawahs defeated Guyana Amazon Warriors by seven wickets in a low scoring final to secure the first CPL trophy.
There were just 11 totals above 150 in 24 matches and four below 100 from teams who either set totals or failed to chase successfully.
“It’s something that the board is looking into right now and, hopefully, by the time this tournament comes around next year, not just this tournament, but by the time the international tournaments come around next year, we can see a marked improvement in the pitches,” said Gibson.
“The fans deserve to go and see cricket played on better pitches and it will only improve the batsmanship that we see in the region.”
However, Gibson said that overall he was impressed with the CPL and believed regional players would benefit from the experience.
“It’s been a good spectacle. I think regional players, some of the star performers, the (Krishmar) Santokies, the Sheldon Cotterells and people like that . . . It’s good that some of the star performers are local players, if you like, showcasing local talent to the world and that could only be a good thing for us.”
Left-arm swing bowler Santokie, named Player-of-the-Series, ended with 16 wickets, while the energetic Cotterell picked up eight wickets for the Antigua Hawksbills at an average of 21.75 and an economy rate of 6.44. (CMC)
