The International Cricket Council judges Rawalpindi’s pitch ‘below ordinary‘ and imposes a penalty point.
KARACHI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has rated the Pindi Cricket Stadium as “below ordinary” for the first Test match between Pakistan and Australia, docking it one demerit point.
The Australian cricket team and many Pakistani players have also said they don’t like the pitch.
The ICC said that Ranjan Madugalle, the ICC match referee for the Pakistan-Australia Test series, judged the ground at Rawalpindi’s Pindi Cricket Stadium as “below ordinary.”
Madugalle’s report was also sent to the Pakistan Cricket Board.
His opinion said that the pitch did not favour both hitters and pitchers equally. It was more in favour of the former than the latter.
“Over the course of five days, the pitch’s characteristics remained almost the same, save for a tiny decrease in bounce,” Madugalle stated.
“This, in my opinion, is not a fair match between bat and ball. As a result, and in accordance with ICC criteria, I have assigned this pitch a rating of below average,” he said.
The demerit points are valid for a five-year rolling term. When a venue reaches five demerit points (or exceeds that level), it is banned for 12 months from hosting international cricket matches. If the venue gets 10 demerit points, it can’t host international cricket games for 24 months.
Yousuf, the Pakistan team’s batting coach, was in Rawalpindi less than an hour before the ICC made its decision.
“Everyone prepares the wicket according to their strength and condition; we don’t always get what we want when we go to Australia for our matches,” he said to the reporters.
“The wicket seemed to be frail as a result of the hefty roll applied to it and the lack of sunlight.”
Only 14 wickets fell in the five-day series, giving the batsmen a lot of good luck with the bat.
Pakistan’s coach lauded his batsmen’s performances throughout the series. They played the game according to plan. I was delighted to watch them make runs, “he said.
“Abdullah was in his third Test match, and Imam recovered well. It was encouraging to watch them play with such assurance, “he continued.
Yousuf, on the other hand, was looking for a more favourable pitch in Karachi that favoured both bowlers equally.
What was the PCB’s response to the ICC’s decision to dock Rawalpindi’s pitch?
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said that despite the fact that no Pakistani site has ever gotten a demerit point, it recognises the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) decision and will ensure the condition of pitches in subsequent matches.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made a statement after the International Cricket Council (ICC) said that the Rawalpindi pitch for Pakistan’s first Test against Australia was “below normal.” The PCB was fined a demerit point for this.
“We take notice of and accept the International Criminal Court’s ruling. The PCB said this is the first time a venue in Pakistan has been docked a point.
It said that a “major effort” has already been launched to upgrade pitches around Pakistan in order to make the game more equitable for both ballers and hitters.
“The PCB is confident and hopeful that not just the Karachi and Lahore Tests, but also all future local international matches, will be competitive,” a PCB spokeswoman said.
