Delhi: The general feeling is that BCCI itself made Gautam Gambhir the coach and the protocol is that he will not speak against any policy of BCCI. However, Gautam Gambhir has crossed this limit and once again raised alarm bells. The head coach of Team India wants that the pitches should be such that there is a fair match between bat and ball and it is the responsibility of BCCI to ensure this.

Gautam Gambhir clearly warned that if pitches continue to be made only for batsmen, then the day is not far when the careers of Indian bowlers will be at stake.

Gautam Gambhir's warning, are pitches being made only for batsmen?

His anger erupted after Team India could not defend its score of 249/5 in the T20 International against West Indies in Ranchi. When the visiting team achieved the target, 9 balls were left. 501 runs were scored in the match and 33 sixes were hit. Just when the pitch drama was being discussed after India achieved the target of 406 runs in Guwahati One Day International, this Ranchi incident came to light.

These two-run rainy matches forced the coach to question whether such matches can really be called cricket?

After the Guwahati ODI, he had said, 'You talk about cricket, but this is not cricket, it is just batting.' His entire sympathy was with the bowlers who were expected to restrict runs and take wickets even on such flat pitches. Gambhir's concern is valid. Another important question that arises from this discussion is what is BCCI doing about this?

From Ranchi to Guwahati, rain of runs raised questions

It seems that in the eyes of BCCI and the center organizing the matches, entertainment from cricket has become more important than proper cricket. High-scoring matches are attractive. Sixes, fours and matches going on till the last over are loved by the spectators, broadcasters and sponsors. Matches in which 400 runs are scored and successfully chased become headlines the next day and everyone is happy at the expense of proper cricket.

We are forgetting the difference between a great batting performance and a lot of runs scored in such conditions.

There is very little help from the pitch, the boundaries are small, the ball is difficult to catch due to dew and the batting line-up is very low, so what is left for the bowlers? It is not surprising that even on a good ball, a shot hits the boundary and a small mistake proves costly.

Who will understand the pain of the bowlers amidst the noise of fours and sixes?

Yuzvendra Chahal has also pointed towards flat pitches, small grounds and impact players of IPL in this matter. They clearly say that it was not so long ago that in T20 a score of 170-180 was competitive, whereas now even 200+ is not a guarantee of victory.

In this way, the pitch, dew, size of the ground, fielding restrictions, depth of batting and performance of the bowlers, all these affect the match. That's why Gambhir says that Indian bowlers will have to find ways to save scores even in difficult situations. At the same time, conditions must be prevented from making the job of the bowlers too difficult.

What should BCCI do? 5 important steps to return the balance of pitches

1. Clear guidelines should be set for making the pitch.

The pitch should be made as per ICC guidelines for both international and domestic cricket, and not to increase the count of fours and sixes.

2. Transparency in pitch rating, decisions should not be taken just by looking at the score.

Regularly inspect the pitches in all tournaments, even IPL. Not just the score, but also look at the nature of the pitch and the help provided to the batsmen and bowlers on it.

3. Curators should get freedom, pitches should not be prepared under pressure.

In this, it is most important that the curator prepares the right pitch without any pressure. Get the help you need from the local association to make the pitch. Same standards should be adopted for preparing pitches across the country.

4. Reforms should start from domestic cricket

If young batsmen play on flat pitches at the beginning of their career, they may face difficulty in facing the movement, bounce or spin of the ball abroad. Balanced pitches in domestic cricket can help prepare players for all types of conditions.

5. Attention will also have to be paid to the increasing impact of T20.

Short boundaries, 'impact players', easy fielding restrictions and the expectation of hitting sixes regularly all play a role in increasing the score. In such a situation, it is important to pay attention to these aspects also to maintain the balance of the game.

Now BCCI's turn, ignoring Gambhir's warning will cost heavily

It is clear that all this cannot happen without the right intentions from the BCCI side. If the policy is to please only entertainment and broadcasters, then forget reforms. Gautam Gambhir's warning should not remain just a post-match discussion and should not disappear when the next series starts.

The real measure of a good cricket pitch is not how many runs are scored on it, but whether it gives equal opportunity to both batsmen and bowlers to influence the outcome.