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What is your take on pitch doctoring?

shortpitched713

International Captain
The part that should favour the home side is that they grew up playing in those conditions and are used to the typical characteristics of the pitches. If the pitch is doctored to amplify or completely change playing characteristics because it benefits the home team, based upon instructions from the team or board (or even if the curator takes it upon themselves to do so to be fair) that is cheating.

Most people of sound mind would agree, which is why PEWS is siding with the devil, much like he does in politics.
You're wrong though.
 

Coronis

Cricketer Of The Year
"Doctored" is definitely an overused term used to describe pitches these days. Every time there's a tour to India you will have casuals call normal Indian pitches "doctored" because they spin a bit.
I thought it was just a doctor stereotype thing tbh.
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Honestly I have no clue on what the new stadium's standard pitch is like so to say X was doctored or whatever feels like you already had an answer in mind regardless of what would happen. And I think people love using the words 'doctored/manufactured' far too much about what is essentially dirt arranged and watered in different ways around the world.
It is funny to think about how much we talk about dirt on this forum.

@Spark @GIMH
 

Son Of Coco

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
You're wrong though.
Nah, I'm not.

This discussion is basically teams that do it and thus their supporters think it is ok, and those that don't. I have no issue with it turning heaps in many areas of the subcontinent, or being green in NZ etc. That's what you expect. I have an issue with changes being made for specific matches, or match-by-match depending on what the team thinks it needs.

If your team does this, you can sit around and celebrate the fact they created a non-contest because they didn't back themselves in in normal conditions.
 
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shortpitched713

International Captain
Nah, I'm not.

This discussion is basically teams that do it and thus their supporters think it is ok, and those that don't. I have no issue with it turning heaps in many areas of the subcontinent, or being green in NZ etc. That's what you expect. I have an issue with changes being made for specific matches, or match-by-match depending on what the team thinks it needs.

If your team does this, you can sit around and celebrate the fact they created a non-contest because they didn't back themselves in in normal conditions.
Your loser tears are delicious.
 

TheJediBrah

Request Your Custom Title Now!
My issue has always been that I'd like Aus to do it more, rather than other teams do it less. We should be doing everything in our power to make the pitches as hard, fast and bouncy as possible. Instead we went through the last decade with slow, low drop-ins. We couldn't make things less challenging for touring teams if we tried. MCG being the biggest culprit. Ironically Adelaide Oval went from being the spinny (late-game) road to being the most classical Aus Test pitch in the country when the day/nighters came in
 

Son Of Coco

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
My issue has always been that I'd like Aus to do it more, rather than other teams do it less. We should be doing everything in our power to make the pitches as hard, fast and bouncy as possible. Instead we went through the last decade with slow, low drop-ins. We couldn't make things less challenging for touring teams if we tried. MCG being the biggest culprit. Ironically Adelaide Oval went from being the spinny (late-game) road to being the most classical Aus Test pitch in the country when the day/nighters came in
Yeah, the drop-ins have been a nightmare. I'm not sure what the answer is though. Dedicated cricket grounds would help, but I assume they aren't seen as being financially viable. The need to leave a bit more grass on the deck for the pink ball in day/nighters definitely made things a bit more interesting.

Clearly the answer is to allow the bowling team to throw items on a good length to get a bit happening with the ball/make the batsman **** themselves when playing on a flat deck, but apparently that is frowned upon.
 

honestbharani

Whatever it takes!!!
I actually think the best thing to do is to prepare pitches that look like they will be extremely one thing and it turns out it was perfectly normal. Like some of those greentops in NZ, Eng and SA we see time to time and like the pitches in India during the BG trophy.
 

Adders

Cricketer Of The Year
Nah, I'm not.

This discussion is basically teams that do it and thus their supporters think it is ok, and those that don't. I have no issue with it turning heaps in many areas of the subcontinent, or being green in NZ etc. That's what you expect. I have an issue with changes being made for specific matches, or match-by-match depending on what the team thinks it needs.

If your team does this, you can sit around and celebrate the fact they created a non-contest because they didn't back themselves in in normal conditions.
Do you believe that Australia doesn't ever engage in this practice?
 

TheJediBrah

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Do you believe that Australia doesn't ever engage in this practice?
Pretty rarely. Not sure it's because of any moral highground or just because, IMO, it's not as easy to doctor a wicket to be fast and bouncy as it is to make it an underprepared greentop, or a dust bowl, neither of which is going to help Australia at home against anyone. We saw what happened Boxing Day 2010 when they thought it was a good idea
 

Xix2565

International Debutant
I mean that's also not saying that it's not as necessary to 'doctor' with the level of bounce that you can get naturally in Australia compared to other countries.
 

Xix2565

International Debutant
Read this a few times can't figure out what you mean
Basically that there is already have a natural advantage in the pitches without needing to do work on them, and it's different from spin/seam. There's a reason touring players do highlight the bounce as something they rarely face in other countries.
 

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