30 December,2009 07:43 AM IST | | Chetan Narula
While the annual general meeting of the Delhi and District Cricket Association imploded yesterday when the issue of Sunday's adjourned game was brought up, the wicket in question took a turn for the mend.
Curator Radhey Shyam Sharma, who has been looking after the Kotla track since the 1996 World Cup, is back in charge after the debacle and optimistic of improving the much-criticised wicket. "I wish the CK Nayudu Trophy match between Delhi and Gujarat (Starting Jan 3) is played at the Kotla. I will mend the pitch enough by then and the authorities in the Indian board will know that the stadium is fit for international matches in the future.
A ban on Delhi for the 2011 World Cup is in no one's favor and I hope that doesn't come to pass," Sharma said.
Sharma worked on the square for three hours on Monday, and the authorities decided to test the same with a 44-overs a side match between Hampton School Cricket Club and DDCA XI, comprising under-14 players.
Manager of the touring British school, Duncan Peel, was not concerned about the much-hyped devils in the wicket.
"This is the adjacent track to the one used on Sunday and as it is they have worked on it yesterday. So, the thought of saying no didn't even cross our minds. The requirements of school cricket are different from those of international games and we couldn't afford to miss the opportunity of playing at an international venue. Our batsmen have had a good hit and our bowlers got good bounce. And nobody got hurt too," Peel said with a chuckle.
