Pace bowlers who are set to grace the Eden Gardens for the Indian Premier League Qualifier 1 (May 24) and Eliminator (May 25) could be licking their lips in anticipation as the pitches at the iconic cricket venue will have pace and bounce. “We will maintain our standards as far as the character of Eden Gardens’ tracks are concerned. There has been pace and bounce on our pitches for the last four to five years and consistency will be maintained,” curator Sujan Mukherjee told mid-day on Friday.

This edition of the IPL will go down as the one in which pacers made an impression. Pundits have waxed eloquent on Sunrisers’ Umran Malik and the way he has troubled the batsmen through sheer pace. Mohsin Khan of Lucknow Super Giants and Rajasthan Royals’ Kuldeep Sen too have impressed experts and fans.