Atkinson inspects SCG strip, chats with Duncan Fletcher

Sydney: The pitch at the Sydney Cricket Ground has attracted so much attention in the past few days that ICC’s chief of grounds and pitches committee Andy Atkinson was seen carrying out thorough inspection of the 22-yard strip, here on Monday.
There has been a lot of speculation about the nature of the track for the semifinal between India and Australia on Thursday.
The Australian cricket team, very carefully through their players, have spelt it that it won’t be a track offering help for spinners with Maxwell “expecting fair amount of grass on the wicket” and James Faulkner denying that Sri Lankans were bamboozled by Imran Tahir and JP Duminy. Atkinson’s role has become more significant as a lot will depend on what kind of instructions he gives to the local groundsmen including head curator Tom Parker Jr. (PTI)