Cricketers short of practice

Press, 5 October 1987, Page 23

Cricketers short of practice

From DAVID LEGGAT NZPA correspondent Hyderabad Frustration at a chain of events which has worked against the New Zealand cricket team in Hyderabad is irritating the players, said the captain, Jeff Crowe, on Saturday. The New Zealanders arrived in this southern city after two days in New Delhi.

Their first and only practice at Lal Bahadur Stadium, venue of. its World Cup match against Zimbabwe, was turned into something of a lottery by a heavy shower 10 minutes after it started. Then its opening warmup match was abandoned without play. That has been rescheduled for Thursday, which as it happens is a more suitable arrangement, two days

before playing Zimbabwe. For the last two days the New Zealanders have had to practise on markedly sub-standard pitches at the Hyderabad Gymkhana ground. Nd amount of eager local net bowlers and helpful officials can make up for the fact that several of the New Zealand batsmen have been hit in the chest and ribs by balls flying from a good length. On one of the pitches the-spinners can turn the ball almost square and although Indian pitches are noted for their helpfulness to spin bowlers, the practice strips do little for the confidence of a team preparing for a oneday series. Crowe and some of his team believe New . Zea-

land and Zimbabwe, which had a reducedovers win against Hyderabad Blues on Saturday, have got a raw deal from the World Cup organisers. Although Hyderabad’s climate is pleasantly warm, Crowe argued that a much, hotter venue could have better prepared the New Zealanders for conditions coming out of a cold New Zealand winter. \ “I’m starting to get irritated by the facilities and I can sense some of the guys just want to get on with the game,” Crowe “We just haven’t had it going our way. It seems to me New Zealand and Zimbabwe are stuck away down here without the

chance of getting much good net work in. The facilities aren’t really that good." ■ Crowe, on his second tour as New Zealand captain, said he was particularly concerned that his players, especially the batsmen, gain some confidence in the nine. days spent in Hyderabad before their opening match. “What we have had has had limited value for the players and they are not feeling very confident in their play. That is mainly because of the condition of the wickets,” he said. “That was what these early . days were all about” “But we are stuck with •it and we have to try to do our best” ,1. &