Port of Spain, May 24: West Indies skipper Brian Lara criticised his home club's pitches and practice facilities ahead of this weekend's two one-day internationals against Australia. "The practice facilities in Trinidad and Tobago are easily among the worst in years," Lara said.
"What we are seeing in first-class cricket out in the middle are pitches which will not breed top-class cricketers," lamented the West Indies skipper. Construction on a stand at the Queen's Park Cricket Club, home of the Oval ground for the weekend internationals, hinders the bowlers' run-up.
Apart from the wicket in Antigua, which hosted the fourth Test, all of the other regional pitches in the Test and one-day series have come in for criticism for being unresponsive to fast bowlers, and not allowing batsmen to play their shots freely. Lara is hoping for a good pitch at the Oval to help the West Indies prevent Australia from winning the seven-match, limited-overs series. The Aussies lead 3-0. They also won the Test series 3-1.
"We have to come up with two wins," he said. "It's not a matter of if I think we can do it, we have to do it. We have to find the right formula to do so."
For today's fourth one-dayer, the West Indies will draft in wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs, while the tourists, who had a light workout yesterday, will welcome back Adam Gilchrist and pacer Brett Lee. Bureau Report