Chairman of Cricket Operations at the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, has criticised the condition of pitches in the country, particularly at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, following the recent T20I series against Pakistan.

 

The pitches came under scrutiny after the first two matches of the series produced low scores, drawing criticism from players and experts alike.

 

Speaking to the media, Fahim said, “We tried to prepare sporting pitches, but it didn’t happen. The responsibility lies with those in charge of pitch preparation.”

 

He noted that the board never instructed on preparing low and slow pitches. “The board never asked for low-bounce, slow wickets. When we requested bouncier tracks, very few were prepared,” he said.

 

“We are often told that natural ground conditions and a high number of matches are the reasons. But overall, the Mirpur wicket is not satisfactory,” he added.

 

He further stressed the need for improvement. “We have to work on this in the future. Pitch preparation will now be treated as a top priority.”

 

It merits mention that Pakistan lost the first two games of the T20I series, after which head coach Mike Hesson criticised the pitches, calling them “one of the lowest-scoring surfaces in world cricket.”

 

Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha also raised concerns about the quality of pitches, deeming them unsuitable for preparation ahead of major tournaments like the Asia Cup and the ICC World Cup.