The International Cricket Council (ICC) has rated the pitches used for the third One-Day International between Pakistan and Australia at Gaddafi Stadium and the first Test between England and New Zealand at Lord’s as “unsatisfactory”, awarding one demerit point to each venue under its Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process.
In a media release issued on Tuesday, the ICC said match referees Graeme La Brooy and Andy Pycroft submitted reports highlighting concerns raised by match officials and team captains regarding the playing surfaces. Commenting on the Gaddafi Stadium pitch in Lahore, La Brooy said the wicket was “slow and low” throughout the match, making run-scoring difficult and unsuitable for a One-Day International contest.
“The pitch was slow and low and made scoring runs very difficult. It did not suit a One Day International game as batters had to spend more time to settle in. It helped spin very early in the match and continued the same way throughout,” he said.
Meanwhile, Pycroft criticised the Lord’s surface used for the England-New Zealand Test, saying it offered excessive assistance to bowlers and created an imbalance between bat and ball.
“There was plenty of excessive seam movement throughout the Test and the ball also kept extremely low on several occasions. The bounce was variable throughout as 16 wickets fell on the first day and 17 on the second. There was simply an over-balance in favour of ball against bat caused by the pitch,” Pycroft noted.
The ICC has forwarded the reports to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), respectively. Both boards have 14 days to appeal against the sanctions.
According to the ICC, neither venue had any previous demerit points on record.
Under the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process, venues receive one demerit point for an “unsatisfactory” rating and three demerit points for a pitch deemed “unfit”.
Demerit points remain active for a rolling five-year period. A venue that accumulates six demerit points faces a 12-month suspension from hosting international cricket, while a venue reaching 12 demerit points is suspended for 24 months.