Lord’s, Gaddafi Stadium pitches rated ‘unsatisfactory’ by ICC

Lord's, Gaddafi Stadium pitches rated 'unsatisfactory' by ICC

The pitches used for the first Test between England and New Zealand at Lord's and the third ODI between Pakistan and Australia at Gaddafi Stadium have been rated 'unsatisfactory' by the ICC, each venue receiving one demerit point.

Match referees Andy Pycroft (Lord's) and Graeme La Brooy (Gaddafi Stadium) submitted reports expressing concerns from match officials and captains.

"There was plenty of excessive seam movement throughout the Test and the ball also kept extremely low on several occasions," Pycroft said about the Lord's pitch. "The bounce was variable throughout as 16 wickets fell on the first day and 17 on the second. There was simply an over-balance in favour of ball against bat caused by the pitch."

About the Gaddafi Stadium pitch, La Brooy reported: "The pitch was slow and low and made scoring runs very difficult. It did not suit a One-Day International game… It helped spin very early in the match and continued the same way throughout."

The ICC has forwarded the reports to the England and Wales Cricket Board and the Pakistan Cricket Board respectively. Both boards have 14 days to appeal.

Demerit points remain active for a rolling five-year period. A venue accumulating six demerit points receives a 12-month suspension from hosting international cricket, while 12 points results in a 24-month suspension.

Neither Lord's nor Gaddafi Stadium has any previous demerit points.