An ICC appeals panel has revoked the demerit point imposed on Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. It had originally been handed out for rolling out an “unsatisfactory” pitch for the third ODI between Pakistan and Australia in June. It was the first time that the Gaddafi Stadium had been handed a demerit point.
The pitch had come under scrutiny for providing excessive assistance to the spin bowlers in a low-scoring match which the hosts won by four wickets after bowling Australia out for 157 in 42 overs. This was the only ODI of the three-match series in which no total in excess of 200 was posted. Pakistan produced rank-turners for all three ODIs across Rawalpindi and Lahore and the captain Shaheen Afridi vehemently defended their tactics.
An ICC release stated that the panel rescinded the sanction after reviewing the match footage, match referee’s report, and comments from the respective teams and determined that “the pitch did not demonstrate excessive unevenness or spin”.
A PCB spokesperson at the time had told Cricinfo that the board was contemplating challenging the sanction. “After examining the ICC’s concerns in light of the available evidence, a final decision will be made on whether to challenge this ruling. This process has already been started,” the spokesperson had said.
The pitch was rated as “unsatisfactory” by match referee Graeme Labrooy for being “slow and low” and making the runs accumulation “very difficult”. Labrooy was further quoted in an ICC release saying, “It did not suit a One-Day International game as batters had to spend more time to settle in. It helped the spin very early in the match and continued the same way throughout.”
This is the second time that the PCB has been successful in overturning a pitch-related sanction imposed by the ICC. They successfully appealed against the demerit point handed to Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium for producing an “unsatisfactory” pitch for the Pakistan vs England Test in December 2022 which the tourists won by 74 after posting a record 506-4 on day one.
The Gaddafi Stadium is slated to host four ODIs of a triangular series including Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and England in October and the second Test against Sri Lanka in November.
Meanwhile, the Maple Leaf Cricket Ground in King City, Toronto will continue to carry three demerit points after the appeals panel upheld the match referee’s “unfit” verdict for the pitch for the Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 game between Canada and Netherlands on June 16. The panel, however, upheld the appeal for the June 8 fixture of the same series between USA and Netherlands and determined the pitch for the match to be “consistent with that of a satisfactory pitch” after it was ruled to be “unsatisfactory” by the match referee.
