A good cricket pitch, according to the ICC, is one where the bat and the ball compete fairly. The pitch’s quality has a significant impact on a Test match’s quality. Fans don’t want to see an unfair advantage in either of these areas.
According to the Monitoring Process of the ICC, A pitch can be evaluated as ‘poor‘ in the event that it shows practically no crease development or turns at any stage in the coordinate along with no huge bob or convey, in this way denying the bowlers of a fair challenge among bat and ball.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has criticized India’s tracks over the past decade, but pitches in Australia and England have also received criticism.
Let’s take a look at three matches that were played in England and Australia where the ICC gave the pitch a poor rating.
#1 Australia vs. South Africa in Gabba in 2022
South Africa begins a three-match Test series against Australia on December 17. Australia beat the guests by six wickets in an experience that finished in only two days.
The Test match saw the loss of 15 wickets on Day 1 and 19 on Day 2. The fact that Australia lost four wickets in the fourth innings while chasing 35 runs demonstrates how lively the surface was.
Richie Richardson, a member of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, gave the surface a rating of “below average.” His evaluation read: The Gabba pitch for this Test match was too favorable to the bowlers overall. More bounce and occasional excessive seam movement were present. On the second day, the odd delivery remained low, making it extremely challenging for batters to form partnerships.
#2 Australia vs. England in Melbourne in 2018
The fourth Test of the 2017/18 Ashes series lacked a conclusion. In a five-day span, only 24 wickets were taken by either team, resulting in a combined score of over 1000 runs.
The game pulled in north of 250,000 individuals to the arena, just to wind up in an exhausting draw. In his official report, ICC Match Referee Ranjan Madugalle rated the track as “poor.” For the first time, a venue in Australia received such a rating.
A spokesperson for Cricket Australia stated at the time that “The MCC and Cricket Australia had agreed to collaborate on finding and funding solutions to ensure that the MCG regains its distinctive characteristics and is regarded as one of the best Test pitches in the world.”
#3 England vs. India in Nottingham in 2014
In the first of the five-match series at Trent Bridge in Nottingham, India faced England. The game was tied at the end. In the lone innings, England batted, India scored 457 and 391/9 runs, while England scored 496.
The bowlers received little assistance. Jimmy Anderson was disappointed while bowling as the edges neglected to carry on the sluggish and low surface. He did, however, enjoy batting, achieving a Test-best score of 81 and a record-setting 196-run partnership with Joe Root for the final wicket.
David Boon, the match referee, issued an official warning and required the ground to furnish before the next international cricket season.
According to Lisa Pursehouse, chief executive of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club, “we are naturally disappointed to have produced a pitch rated as poor.” This contrasts with our track record of consistently producing good wickets for international matches at Trent Bridge.