ICC rates Gaddafi Stadium pitch unsatisfactory after Pakistan-Australia ODI

LAHORE: The International Cricket Council has rated the pitch at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium as unsatisfactory after the recent one-day international between Pakistan and Australia, saying the surface made run-scoring difficult.

In a press release issued on Tuesday, the ICC said the assessment was based on match referee Graeme La Brooy’s report from the fixture played in Lahore. Gaddafi Stadium hosted the second and third ODIs of the series between Pakistan and Australia. Pakistan won the third match by four wickets and sealed the three-match series 2-1.

The ICC said the Lahore surface was judged to have had a decisive impact on the low-scoring contest. La Brooy said the pitch was slow and low, which made batting difficult and was not suitable for a one-day international because batters needed extra time to get set. He also noted that the surface offered assistance to spin very early and continued to do so throughout the match.

Speaking in the ICC statement, La Brooy said:

“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,”

The ICC also rated the Lord’s pitch in London, used for the first Test between England and New Zealand, as unsatisfactory. That decision was based on match referee Andy Pycroft’s report. According to the ICC, both Lord’s and Gaddafi Stadium received one demerit point each under the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process.

Pycroft said there was excessive seam movement throughout the Test at Lord’s and that the ball also stayed extremely low on several occasions, with variable bounce across the match. The ICC said 16 wickets fell on the opening day and 17 on the second day.

Pycroft said:

“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,”

The ICC said the reports of the two match referees had been sent to the England and Wales Cricket Board and the Pakistan Cricket Board respectively. Both boards have 14 days to appeal against the sanction. The governing body added that neither venue had any previous demerit points.

The series in Pakistan was played on mainly low, spin-friendly pitches in Rawalpindi and Lahore, where Australia largely struggled with the bat. In the third ODI, Australia were dismissed for 157 before Pakistan chased the target, though the surface continued to aid bowlers and made batting difficult.

Some former players and analysts had criticised the pitches used in the series, saying they were prepared to suit the home side. Pakistan skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi rejected that criticism after the series win.

Shaheen said:

“When you have to play against such a team like Australia, you have to prepare such pitches because your objective is to win the series.”

He added:

“When we visited Australia, they prepared green pitches because they were playing against an Asian team and believed those conditions would favour them. Despite that, under Mohammad Rizwan’s captaincy, we won the series there,”