According to the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process, the pitches used for the first Test between England and New Zealand at Lord’s in London and the third ODI between Pakistan and Australia at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore were deemed “unsatisfactory”.
Following the submission of their separate reports by match referees Andy Pycroft (Lord’s) and Graeme La Brooy (Gaddafi Stadium), which highlighted issues brought up by match officials and captains, the two venues were each awarded one demerit point.
According to Pycroft, there was a lot of seam movement on the Lord’s surface during the Test, and the ball occasionally lingered quite low, which led to inconsistent bounce.
“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 said about the Lord’s pitch.
On the fourth day of the inaugural Test match at Lord’s, England defeated New Zealand by 115 runs. England took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series as the tourists were bowled out for 138 in their second innings, with a target of 254 runs to win.
La Brooy claimed that the pitch at Gaddafi Stadium was slow and low, making it difficult for batters to score runs and inappropriate for a One-Day International.
“It did not suit an ODI 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,” La Brooy said.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have received the findings and have 14 days to challenge the sanctions. There were no prior demerit points for either Gaddafi Stadium or Lord’s.
A venue is awarded one demerit point for a “unsatisfactory” pitch and three points for a “unfit” pitch, according to ICC regulations. For a rolling period of five years, the points are still valid.
A venue’s ability to host international cricket is suspended for 12 months if it receives six demerit points, and for 24 months if it receives 12 demerit points.
