The iconic Shere Bangla Stadium, one of the most renowned cricket venues in Bangladesh, is set for a complete revamp after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) rated the pitch unsatisfactory due to its slow nature during the Pakistan series, where the average first-innings total was just 115 runs in T20Is.
According to Cricbuzz, senior BCB officials were displeased with the pitch’s sluggishness and have ordered curators to fully renovate the surface, including removing the entire bottom soil layer.
Also Read: England vs India 5th test: Joe Root’s Class Act Toward Karun Nair Goes Viral After Resilient Knock
Confirms Major Changes Ahead for Mirpur Pitch
The official statement, released on August 1, included remarks from the board's cricket operations president, Nazmul Abedin, who confirmed that significant changes are required to bring the wicket up to the standard the BCB expects.
“Overall, the Mirpur wicket is not satisfactory – we all accept that. We'll have to work on this going forward. Perhaps the entire soil base will have to be removed. Or, the process through which the pitch is prepared will have to be changed. I hope that some changes will come in this area soon, and that we'll see a better wicket in Mirpur,” Abedin said, as quoted by Cricbuzz.
Abedin also highlighted other concerns raised by the board president, particularly the absence of natural grass and the type of soil used on the wicket.
“If there had been grass on the wicket, then the ball's colour might not have been damaged as much. Since there is no natural grass, when the ball comes into friction with the soil, it absorbs the colour of that soil, and eventually, a time comes when the ball appears less white and takes on a darker shade. That naturally affects visibility. So that is a factor. Our board president made a correct observation or comment (in this regard),” he added.
Also Read: Shubman Gill Overtakes Sunil Gavaskar, Don Bradman’s Record Still Safe
No Instructions for Slow Wickets, Says Abedin
He acknowledged that the slowness of the surface may be linked to the packed domestic and international calendar, which affects pitch quality and gives curators little time for proper maintenance. However, he emphasized that the board has never instructed curators to prepare slow wickets — those decisions are left to the ground staff based on their own preparations.
“I think there was an attempt to make it sporting, but they couldn't do it. That responsibility lies with those who are in charge of preparing it. Because from our side, from the board's side, I don't think it was ever instructed that the wicket has to be low and slow. We've seen that whenever we wanted a better wicket, a bouncy wicket, that often didn't happen. The usual reasons that are given relate to the nature of the soil there, or the environment, or the fact that too many matches are played on that pitch,” he concluded.
With renovations expected to begin soon, no matches are currently scheduled at the iconic venue in the near future.
Also Read: Rohit Sharma Supports Shubman Gill-Led India at The Oval in Fifth Test [WATCH]
