Well.. with all the discussion taking place in this foum focussing on prospects for batsmen and bowlers.. I thought i'd start a thread on one critical element that's also going to be crucial to the make up of any future side: the home pitches.

We've seen lately (in the Pak-Ind Test series) that pitches in Pakistan CAN suit swing bowlers. We've also seen time and again that subcontinental pitches can be low and slow, horribly flat, and hostile to anything but extreme pace (preferably with reverse swing) or extreme turn (preferably coming through quickly, as with Murali, not slowly, as with Warne).

Froma batting perspective I'm sure the groundsmen are as capable of producing challenging wickets on which batsmen have to graft as they are of producing pitches that wil see 300+ every innings in a ODI: anything is possible.

What would be the most sensible guidlines for pitch preparation in the short term, the medium term and the long term? Should there be pitches to encourage Umar Gul and Shabbir Ahmed? Or pitches on which such bowlers are a liability, best kept out by the likes of Shoaib, Sami and Kaneria? Should the pitches favour strokeplayers with poor technique who would be found out by good bowlers under less favourable conditions.. or should they provide the sternest Test such that only the very classiest batsmen can thrive.

Such questions strike me as being absolutely crucial to any long term planning for Bob Woolmer: any sugegstions?