DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has rated the pitches at Lord’s and Gaddafi Stadium as “unsatisfactory” and awarded one demerit point to each venue.
According to the ICC, match referees raised concerns over the pitches used for the England-New Zealand Test at Lord’s and the third ODI between Pakistan and Australia at Gaddafi Stadium.
Lord’s Test match referee Andy Pycroft reported that excessive seam movement and unpredictable bounce affected the balance between bat and ball throughout the match.
Meanwhile, match referee Graeme Labrooy said the Gaddafi Stadium pitch was slow and offered low bounce, making run-scoring difficult.
He noted that the surface did not meet the expected standards for ODI cricket and provided assistance to spinners from the early stages of the game.
The ICC has forwarded its reports to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), giving both boards 14 days to lodge an appeal.
Neither Lord’s nor Gaddafi Stadium had any previous demerit points on their records.
Under ICC regulations, an unsatisfactory pitch receives one demerit point, while an unfit pitch is handed three demerit points.
A venue accumulating six demerit points can be suspended from hosting international cricket for one year, while 12 demerit points can result in a two-year suspension.
More read, ICC to trial pink balls in Test cricket to reduce play lost to bad light
Earlier, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has approved a trial allowing the use of pink balls in Test matches to help reduce interruptions caused by poor light, the sport’s governing body announced on Monday.
Under the new initiative, teams will be permitted to use a pink ball in Test matches, subject to prior agreement between both sides, when bad light is anticipated.
The move aims to maximize playing time, as the traditional red ball used in Tests can become difficult to see in fading daylight.
