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Tendulkar asks for larger sightscreens
January 12, 2006 15:23 IST
India's master batsman Sachin Tendulkar [Images] has asked for larger sightscreens in the first Test against Pakistan starting on Friday.
The Indian team management requested that the height and width of the sightscreens at both ends of the Gaddafi stadium be increased, the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) director cricket operations Saleem Altaf said.
"They have said that Tendulkar has asked for the changes because he feels he might not be able to sight the ball leaving the bowler's hand properly in the backdrop of the current sightscreens," Altaf said.
The PCB's chief curator Agha Zahid said that although the sightscreens were of standard size used for international matches they were now being increased by three feet in height and width on an emergency basis.
"The matter was brought to our notice by the match referee who requested that an exception be made and the Indians' request be accommodated," Zahid said.
Tendulkar, who is 5' 4'' tall, faced similar problems with the sightscreens when India last played a Test in Lahore [Images] in 2004 and lost.
The England [Images] team which toured Pakistan late last year also had problems at the same venue sighting the slower balls from paceman Shoaib Akhtar [Images] which appear to be beamers to the batsmen but then start falling late.