Titans chief executive officer Jacques Faul has conceded that head groundsman Bryan Bloy is anxious ahead of the first Test between South Africa and Pakistan at SuperSport Park in Centurion this month.

The pitch prepared for the second Test between the Proteas and India at the same venue earlier this year copped plenty of criticism. The hosts won the match, but in uncharacteristic conditions conducive to spin, rather than seam.

‘We got that wicket wrong. We tried to help South Africa too much – we left too much grass on‚ then the heat wave came and the grass died and the wicket was too slow,’ Faul was quoted as saying by Times Media.

‘I’ve never seen someone singled out like that.

‘Bryan is confident it will have much more pace and bounce. The colour looks better, but I’ve got a nervous groundsman.

‘We’re all nervous. We do well on the field with the Titans and in areas like administration‚ but until that first ball is bowled you just don’t know.’

Proteas coach Ottis Gibson added: ‘The groundsmen know what sort of pitch we want – a good old Centurion pitch with a little bit of pace and bounce in it.

‘Centurion normally never spins and if it does spin, that happens on day four or five. Last time it turned from the first session, it was a little bit different.’

Photo: Gallo