‘Assessing tacky BPL pitches is key’

Low totals and slow pitches have hogged the spotlight right from the start of the Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), especially in the day games.

After ending on the losing side following a low-scoring thriller against Comilla Victorians in their opening game, Sylhet Sunrisers are eyeing a comeback against Minister Dhaka in today's first game.

Sylhet's Caribbean wicket-keeper batter Lendl Simmons, who missed out on the first game but expected to return to the side, informed that assessing the pitch will be the key for the teams in the ongoing eighth edition of the BPL.

 "I'm not injured, just a little bit jet lagged. Just wanted to rest for the first game. It's a long tournament so I wanted to keep myself fresh. From watching a couple of games, I think the wicket is a little tacky. The ball isn't coming on as much. These aren't really high-scoring games. I think it's just about assessing and seeing how things go," Simmons told the media yesterday.

Meanwhile, Shakib Al Hasan's Fortune Barishal faced their first defeat of the tournament by four wickets in their second game against Dhaka after posting a modest total of 129 runs yesterday.

While the pitch remains at the heart of discussion as Comilla takes on Barishal in today's second fixture, South African Cameron Delport of Comilla is hopeful that the surface will play better as the tournament progresses.

"I'm sure it [pitch] will improve as it's early in the tournament. We can't choose what wickets we get," said Delport.