IND vs NZ: Lucknow Pitch Curator SACKED, claims Team Management requested 'LAST-MINUTE Change', new pitches for IPL 2023

IND vs NZ: Lucknow Pitch Curator Removed – The axe has fallen on the Lucknow pitch curator. According to multiple reports, the Ekana Stadium pitch curator has been removed from his post following India vs NewZealand 2nd T20I. Further reports also claim that a fresh and Brand NEW Pitch will be created for the upcoming IPL tournament. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) use the Ekana Stadium as their home ground in the Indian Premier League. Follow all cricket updates live on insidesport.IN.

However, as per an Indian Express report, the curator in question reveals he received last-minute instructions to change the wicket. The report states that the team management requested a red soil surface three days before the game which led to a slower surface. The curator had prepared two black soil wickets, which were not used.

IND vs NZ: Lucknow Pitch Curator SACKED, claims Team Management requested ‘LAST-MINUTE Change’, new pitches for IPL 2023 – Check Out

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The Lucknow Pitch created havoc controversy due to its unplayable conditions. Not only did India team skipper Hardik Pandya lambast the pitch conditions, former India cricketer and LSG team mentor Gautam Gambhir too criticized the pitch conditions. And after such a situation, the pitch curator has been removed and a fresh pitch would be made for the IPL tournament.

Ekana Stadium pitch curator has been removed And a new pitch will be made in Lucknow for the IPL. pic.twitter.com/JzmNzq1Z5j

— Tarun Singh Verma 🇮🇳 (@TarunSinghVerm1) January 30, 2023

IND vs NZ: Lucknow Pitch Curator SACKED, claims Team Management requested ‘LAST-MINUTE Change’, new pitches for IPL 2023 – Check Out

Also Read: IND vs NZ LIVE: Men in Blue REACH Ahmedabad, India take on NewZealand in Series DECIDER on Wednesday – Follow LIVE Updates

“Let’s be very honest, it was a sub-standard wicket and not a T20 wicket. You don’t expect this kind of purchase from the spinners and it was tough,” Gambhir was quoted as saying on Star Sports after the match.

“When you are chasing 100, your ability to play spin, your ability to rotate the strike comes into the picture. I was surprised by the way Indian batters played against spin. They could have played much better and shouldn’t have taken that deep,” he stated.

Such was the pitch condition that batting first NewZealand managed to out up just 99 runs on the board, the lowest-ever run score for the Kiwis. For the Men in Blue, it was not an easy task to chase a minimal target of 100 runs. The match went down to the wire with Suryakumar Yadav hitting the winning runs to level the series.

IND vs NZ: Lucknow Pitch Curator SACKED, claims Team Management requested ‘LAST-MINUTE Change’, new pitches for IPL 2023 – Check Out

Also Read: IND vs NZ Pitch Controversy: Ranchi & Lucknow pitches surprise Hardik Pandya, Check how Ahmedabad Pitch will behave in SERIES-DECIDER, Follow LIVE Updates

“To be honest, it was a shocker of a wicket. Both the games we have played so far. I don’t mind difficult wickets. I am all up for that, but these two wickets are not made for T20. Somewhere down the line the curators or the grounds that we are going to play in should make sure they prepare the pitches earlier,” Hardik Pandya said after the 2nd T20.

Lucknow Pitch: Both Danny Morrison and Ajit Agarkar predicted a tacky wicket and it delivered on point. NewZealand could only post 99 runs batting full 120 deliveries plus 9 extra balls. In 129 balls, 99 runs isn’t a good advertisement for T20 cricket. Lucknow pitch gave India a highlight of a difficult Dhaka’s Sher-E-Bangla stadium pitch.