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Should a host nation be allowed to prepare pitches to suit its own team?

Name: Saurabh Sharma
Your View: I think there is nothing wrong in host nations preparing pitches to suit its own team. One of the great challenges of international cricket is the different conditions that the batsmen encounter in different countries. If you take this out of the game and start preparing the same hard wickets everywhere it would end up being monotonous and cricket would really lose its greatest challenge. Also, alien conditions test the character of the batsmen and the ability of the cricketer. So, its absolutely right to have pitches suiting the home team, it just adds to the whole challenge.

Name: Gaurav Sharma
Your View: I feel the host nation should be allowed to prepare pitches that suit them. This is happening from time immemorial and really the challenge and the beauty of cricket lies in the 22 yards of clay on which the game is played. The fact that different pitches add to the unpredictability of the game also adds to the competitiveness of the game. Overall, it's only right and acceptable that the home team should be allowed to prepare pitches that suit them.

Name: Shridhar
Your View: Definitely. This is what adds to the excitement of the game. The thrill of beating opponents on their home turf on wickets suiting their team is what makes overseas victories so much more sweeter.

Name: Shan
Your View: Well, I think it would be really tough to stop any nation from preparing its suitable pitches. Now it must be a debate to decide which pitch is perfect to play a game. Nonetheless, it is not a bad idea for the time being; I think a nation is to be allowed its suitable pitches.

Name: Mani
Your View: Yes, of course, as long as people don't make absurd statements like ''Indian pitches are tailor made for their spinners" and so on. Can you imagine South Africa or Australia making spinner friendly pitches for the touring Indians?

Name: Prasanna Kumar
Your View: The basic question is - what constitutes a good pitch? And the answer for this question would most probably be "one that favours both batsmen and bowlers equally". Given this, why should we believe that bowlers only mean fast bowlers and medium pacers? Aren't spinners bowlers too? On this token, aren't our pitches good pitches too? Just because they do not favour fast/medium pacers doesn't mean they are not good pitches. The sooner our people realise this the less they will feel sorry for preparing spinner friendly pitches at home. Agreed this is a bit off the topic, but is still relevant.

Name: Rangarajan
Your View: Yes. B'cos only then the visiting team can cherish the victory over the opposition. It feels great to play against a team in conditions conducive to them and still beat them. That's the beauty of winning an away series and that's why Aussies are considered the best in the world. Though I am happy that they were not able to do it in India for the past three decades.

Name: Venkatesh
Your View: In my view, pitches all around the world need to be standardised. An ideal pitch should support all aspects of the game. There should be enough for the seamers and enough for the spinners and enough for the batsmen too. This will breed healthy competition among all Test-playing nations and only this can decide on the real Test champion. India, for instance, are tigers at home but are very vulnerable outside. The great Australians were humbled in India - thanks to our 'Turbanator'. By preparing pitches suitable to the home team, the odds for visitors to win becomes very low. In the interest of the game, we need to have standard pitches and all Test venues should be asked to prepare this kind of a wicket. There should also be an international committee for pitches that would inspect the venue before any series so that the standards are followed.

Name: Pratap Reddy
Your View: Of course Yes, We should allow host nations to prepare pitches to suit its own team because every host nation team wants to win in their home land and become heroes in their country I don't think it is an awful thought

Name: Suresh
Your View: No. The pitches should be common and the balls also should be common. Then only we can predict which is good team and which is not

Name: Roopa Rajan
Your View: A host nation can prepare pitches as it wishes. It is important for the visiting teams to adapt as soon as possible. Is there a possibility of preparing similar pitches in all countries ? It seems very unlikely and complicated due to various reasons such as weather conditions, type of soil, infrastructure etc. I guess a host nation might as well prepare pitches to suit its own team.

Name: Ameya Mahulkar
Your View: No, it's the bad thing to do so. India should not do this. Pak does this; SA does; Ind does not. We should not make the pitches as per our batsmen or bowlers. In a game somebody loses or wins; it's a game, not somebody's life; so we should not cheat. India is not a dumb country to cheat.

Name: Mukul
Your View: Of course, yes. Otherwise India will go winless for god knows how many years.

Name: Ubat01
Your View: The answer is a big YES. Till the ICC is able to standardise pitches, this option to the home team should not be denied. Look how the Aussies and Springboks make life hell for players from the subcontinent by preparing fast bouncy pitches. It is as well since their strength is pace bowling, whereas for India which depends on spin, it should prepare only dusty tracks, especially when the Aussies and the Springboks tour. It is all sheer rubbish to prepare fast bouncy pitches in India and offer the series to the touring teams on a platter

Name: Sudeep
Your View: Yes the home team should, and it happens all the time. The only difference is when or Australia prepare fast pitches they call it home team advantage, if India prepare spinning wickets they call it CHEATING!!!!

Name: Vivek
Your View: When we have neutral umpires why not a neutral pitch? The whole idea of preparing pitches to suit the home side smacks of insecurity on the part of the home side. If you are a good team why do you have to depend on the pitch?

Name: Raj Gopal
Your View: I am against the view that the pitches should be prepared to suit the host nation, we need to have a pitch that suits both bowlers and batsmen, only then you have a clear view of a team's strength. One cannot access a team's strength if you are going to have pitches that support your players. Look at South Africa, undoubtedly a great side with quality players but cannot play spin as India does, if we have a pitch that suits pace, spin bowlers and batsmen then we have fair call to access a side's performance

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