livid with criticism that pitches for the series against South Africa are not sporting enough, Chairman of BCCI's pitches and grounds committee Daljeet Singh on Wednesday sought to downplay the hype surrounding the nature of turf, saying curator does not decide the result of the game.
"We always teach children that the curator does not decide result of the game. It is the players who decide it. How they adapt and use the conditions, it is up to them," Singh said.
He also said that there is nothing wrong with the bouncy and spinning nature of the tracks, as long as the pitch is not dangerous.
He asserted that the Kotla track in Delhi, where the fourth Test will be played, will be a "good cricketing pitch".
Asked to comment on ICC reportedly rating Nagpur pitch as "poor", Singh said, "I have not seen the report. It is for the BCCI to respond, I am not (directly) in the picture. But when I am asked for my comments, I will give these to BCCI and it is for them to take appropriate action."
The Nagpur Test, like Mohali, finished within three days, with spinners doing the bulk of damage.
deserve voice after playing 103 Tests: Hayden to Shastri
Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden has responded to Ravi Shastri's jibe at critics of the spin-friendly Nagpur pitch for the third Test against South Africa, saying "I deserve a voice for the betterment of cricket" after playing 103 Test matches.
"let them sit in Australia and talk about their pitches. Tell them not to waste their time about Indian tracks. Come and play here," Shastri, a former India all-rounder, was quoted as saying.
The 44-year-old said his comments on the pitch was made on the basis of loving the sport.
"Non-Indian commenting on the conditions in India and I reckon probably 80 percent said 'mind your business and go back to Australia and worry about your own country' which is fair enough.
"But 20 percent of the people that understand the game and have a great passion for the game, a comment like mine whether they like or not is from the base of loving this sport, from the base of loving conditions and also experiencing diverse conditions across the world," Hayden said on Wednesday