RAWALPINDI . Dec 13,2022. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has declared the Rawalpindi Stadium pitch as ‘substandard’ in the first Test match played between Pakistan and England in Rawalpindi.
The Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium was given a demerit point after the ICC declared the pitch of the first Test match between Pakistan and England below average.
It should be remembered that in the first innings of the first test of the historic series between Pakistan and England, England made 657 and declared the second innings by scoring 264 runs for the loss of 7 wickets and won the match by 74 runs.
In the Rawalpindi Test, Pakistan scored 579 runs in the first innings while they were dismissed for 268 runs in the second innings.
Andy Pycroft, of the governing body’s elite panel of match referees, said it was a very flat pitch that offered almost no support to either type of bowler.
He said that this was the main reason due to which the batsmen scored very quickly and both the teams posted huge scores.
He said that the pitch deteriorated very little during the match, which did not help the bowlers, “I found the pitch to be ‘below average’ as per ICC guidelines”.
Recently, Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Ramiz Raja also described the pitch as shameful and said that it is not a good sign for cricket.
The wicket of the first Test match played between Pakistan and Australia in Rawalpindi in March was also declared substandard by the International Cricket Council and the match referee gave the match wicket a demerit point.
Pakistan declared 476 runs in the first innings thanks to the centuries of Imam-ul-Haq and Azhar Ali in response to which Australia also scored 459 runs in the first innings.
Pakistani openers scored 252 runs without loss in the second innings while giving the guest bowlers a hard time and the match was drawn.
If a cricket ground is awarded 5 demerit points over five years, it can be suspended from hosting matches for one year, similarly if it is awarded 10 demerit points, it can be suspended for two years.
