Follow UsThe Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi has received a demerit point from the International Cricket Council (ICC) after match referee Ranjan Madugalle rated the pitch that was used for the first Test between Pakistan and Australia as “below average”.
Both teams batted for two days each in the first innings while Pakistan managed 252/0 in their second innings as the match ended in a drab draw which drew flak from match analysts. However, Australia captain Pat Cummins stayed away from any remarks about the surface which yielded 14 wickets across five days.
“The character of the pitch hardly changed over the course of five days and that there has been no deterioration apart from the bounce getting slightly lower," Madugalle told in his report to the ICC which has been forwarded to the Pakistan Cricket Board.
"The pitch did not have a great deal of pace and bounce in it for the seamers nor assisted the spinners as the match progressed. In my view this does not represent an even contest between bat and ball. Therefore, in keeping with the ICC guidelines I rate this pitch as below average.”
As per the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process, a venue will receive a demerit point if the pitch is rated by the match referees as below average, while three and five demerit points will be awarded to venues whose pitches are marked as poor and unfit, respectively.
Demerit points will remain active for a rolling five-year period. When a venue accumulates five demerit points or more, it will be suspended from hosting any international cricket for a period of 12 months, while a venue will be suspended from staging any international cricket for 24 months when it reaches the threshold of 10 demerit points.
Pakistan opener Imam-ul-Haq who scored hundred in each innings of the match, backed the curator despite the barren nature of the Pindi pitch.
"A draw is something nobody wants to see. Obviously when it's a five-day Test everyone anticipates for a result. But when we go to Australian conditions, they don't make pitches consulting us but make it according to their will so I think we should see our strength and should live up to our strength," Imam said ahead of the second Test.
Pakistan and Australia will face off in the second Test of the three-match series at Karachi from March 12.