'It is ridiculous to have instructions for pitch'

Giving a new twist to the controversy over the Sawai Mansingh wicket in Jaipur, Rajasthan Royals skipper Shane Warne on Monday termed the "instructions" to make a new strip for the side's remaining home games in the Indian Premier League as "ridiculous".

"In the past four years we have never been told to play on any particular wicket. It is ridiculous to have instructions for pitch," a fuming Warne said after his side suffered a 63-defeat to Chennai Super Kings. 

Asked if these instructions meant losing the home advantage to some extent, Warne retorted, "I have no idea from where the instructions came. But never before there have been such things going on. It is right of every team to extract best out of home conditions. 

"The wickets for earlier matches were fantastic. If you had been watching earlier matches here you can make out easily that today's wicket was different. It has come as a shock and surprise that we were being instructed to play on certain kind of wicket." 

Though he did not blame anybody in particular, Warne was indirectly referring to the unofficial complaint that was lodged by Mumbai Indians after they were restricted to 94 for eight on a slow track.

The matter prompted pitch inspector Venkat Sundaram to rush to Jaipur and allegedly order new strips for the remaining matches here. 

"I don't want that there headings tomorrow that Shane Warne blames the pitch because it was same for both teams  and I concede that we were outplayed. We were up against a sidewhich was pumped and eager to win." Warne felt Chennai skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's quickfire cameo swung the game in the visitors' favour. 

"We were hurt by Dhoni's innings but still I feel 190 odd was gettable on this pitch. We lost (Rahul) Dravid, Shane Watson and (Ross) Taylor early and despite Anjikya Rahane's fifty we could not get there."

Asked about the so-called instructions for the pitch, CSK coach Stephen Fleming said he had no idea about it.     

"Perhaps it is matter of the IPL level and all I can say is that we played on the pitch which was offered to us. But we are happy with the way we played. It would give us more strength in the crunch games ahead," Fleming said.