The International Cricket Council (ICC) has rated the pitches used for the first Test between England and New Zealand at Lord’s and the third ODI between Pakistan and Australia at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium as “unsatisfactory”, handing one demerit point to each venue, 24NewsHD TV reported on Tuesday.
The sanctions were imposed under the ICC’s Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process following reports submitted by match referees Andy Pycroft and Graeme La Brooy.
In his assessment of the Lord’s surface, Pycroft said the pitch provided excessive assistance to bowlers throughout the Test match, creating an imbalance between bat and ball.
He noted that there was significant seam movement, inconsistent bounce and several instances where the ball stayed unusually low.
“There was simply an over-balance in favour of ball against bat caused by the pitch,” Pycroft said, adding that 16 wickets fell on the opening day and 17 on the second day of the match.
England won the Test by 115 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series after dismissing New Zealand for 138 while defending a target of 254.
Meanwhile, match referee Graeme La Brooy criticised the Gaddafi Stadium surface for being excessively slow and low, saying it was not suitable for an ODI contest.
According to his report, batters were forced to spend considerable time settling in, while spin bowlers received assistance from the pitch from the early stages and throughout the match.
The ICC has forwarded the assessment reports to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), giving both boards 14 days to appeal the decision.
Neither Lord’s nor Gaddafi Stadium had any demerit points on record before the latest sanctions.
Under ICC regulations, a venue receives one demerit point when a pitch is rated “unsatisfactory”, while an “unfit” rating carries three demerit points. The points remain on a venue’s record for a rolling five-year period.
A venue accumulating six demerit points faces a 12-month suspension from hosting international cricket, while 12 demerit points result in a two-year ban from staging international matches.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has awarded one demerit point each to Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium and London’s Lord’s Cricket Ground after rating the pitches used in recent international matches as “unsatisfactory” under its Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process.
The sanction against Gaddafi Stadium relates to the third One-Day International between Pakistan and Australia, while Lord’s was penalised for the first Test between England and New Zealand. Both venues received the demerit points following reports submitted by match referees.
Match referee Graeme La Brooy described the Gaddafi Stadium pitch as slow and low, saying it made run-scoring difficult and was not suitable for an ODI contest. According to his report, batters needed considerable time to settle, while the surface offered assistance to spin bowlers from an early stage and continued to do so throughout the match.
At Lord’s, match referee Andy Pycroft noted that the pitch produced excessive seam movement and variable bounce, with the ball frequently staying low. He said the conditions heavily favoured bowlers over batters, leading to an imbalance between bat and ball.
The ICC has forwarded the reports to the relevant cricket boards, giving both the Pakistan Cricket Board and the England and Wales Cricket Board 14 days to appeal the decision. Neither venue had any previous demerit points on record.
Under ICC regulations, venues receive one demerit point when a pitch is rated “unsatisfactory,” while more severe sanctions apply to pitches deemed “unfit.” Demerit points remain active for a rolling five-year period.