Concern over Cup tracks

AUSTRALIAN captain Aaron Finch is hoping new pitches will be used at the Twenty20 World Cup after Ricky Ponting expressed serious concerns about the “tired” wickets in the United Arab Emirates.

Ponting is the coach of the ladder-leading Delhi Capitals in the IPL, which has played all its games at the same venues set to be used for the World Cup.

Since the tournament’s resumption last month, there have been 25 matches played across the venues in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.

Statistics show the average scores have been lower than when it was played in India, and strike-rates for batters have dropped off too.

Ponting said it was “not a good sign” for the World Cup, which begins on October 23 when Australia takes on South Africa in Abu Dhabi.

“There’s got to be a little bit of concern with the T20 World Cup coming up, what I’ve seen from the wickets we’ve been playing on now,” Ponting told Channel 7.

“They actually seem quite tired, and they’re slow and low already. That’s probably not a good sign.”

Australia was well beaten by Bangladesh on low, slow wickets in Dhaka in August, losing four out of five T20s.