KARACHI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has rated the pitches at both Lord’s Cricket Ground and Gaddafi Stadium as “unsatisfactory” following recent international matches, with each venue receiving one demerit point under the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process.
The decision relates to the first Test between England and New Zealand at Lord’s and the third one-day international between Pakistan and Australia in Lahore. Match referees Andy Pycroft (Lord’s) and Graeme La Brooy (Lahore) submitted reports expressing concerns over playing conditions.
At Lord’s, Pycroft said the pitch produced “excessive seam movement” throughout the Test, with the ball also keeping extremely low at times and the bounce varying significantly. He noted that 33 wickets fell across the first two days, saying the surface heavily favoured bowlers over batters.
In Lahore, La Brooy described the pitch as slow and low, making run-scoring difficult and requiring batters to spend considerable time adjusting.
He also said the surface assisted spin early in the match and remained consistent in those conditions throughout, making it unsuitable for one-day international cricket standards.
Both the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have been informed of the findings and have 14 days to appeal the sanctions. Neither venue had any previous demerit points on record.