Sydney Thunder's captain Chris Green has responded to Australian cricket icon Ricky Ponting's criticism of the Sydney pitch, following a match against Perth Scorchers that was noted for its low scoring. In the game, Thunder were defeated by 7 wickets as Scorchers successfully chased down a target of 138 runs in 19.1 overs. Ashton Agar, Scorchers’ spinner, played a key role in limiting Thunder's score, delivering one of the Big Bash League's most economical spells with figures of 4-1-6-2.
"The wicket we've seen tonight is substandard for BBL. As simple as that," Ponting said on air for Channel Seven.
"The problem I've got with it is is Thunder have been a struggling team, I think it's fair to say that, and how are you gonna attract young players from around Australia or even overseas players to come and play at your club if they're gonna be batting on a wicket like that?" he added.
Despite the challenging conditions on the spinning track, Green defended the Sydney Showground Stadium, asserting its status as Thunder’s home ground and indicating no plans to change venues. He humorously remarked that he wished he could take the pitch with him wherever he went, emphasising its benefits for spin bowling.
"We're the Sydney Thunder, this is where we like to play. This is our home ground. This is where we're from, the west of Sydney," Green said.
"I'd hate to see us move down [to Canberra] permanently. I like staying at home, playing at home, having my family come and watch me play. This is our home base," he added.
Green further highlighted that the venue hosted matches with over 200 runs scored in the 2022-23 season, although one of these matches was interrupted by rain. He emphasized that high-scoring games aren't the only ones that can be entertaining and pointed out how such conditions offer a comprehensive test of a batter’s skills, challenging them to adapt and excel in different situations.
"If we scored 10 more runs or about five less wides tonight, it's probably going down to the last ball which is an entertaining fixture. So I disagree with those comments," Green continued.
"We can't just roll out a belter of a wicket and have 220 plays 220, because that tests one side of skill - but this is another side of skill," the Sydney Thunder skipper added.
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