The International Cricket Council on Thursday rated the pitch used for the first test between Pakistan and Australia in Rawalpindi as “below average”. The much-criticized pitch also earned a minus point after the two teams, who met in Pakistan for the first time in 24 years, played a boring draw.
Pakistan went 476/4 in their first innings before edging out Australia with 459 on the final day. In response, Pakistan scored 252/0 as both openers Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq scored 100 each. The bowlers worked hard on the Rawalpindi pitch with Australia’s all-powerful attack and managed just 4 wickets despite bowling in Pakistan for almost 3 days.
Match Referee Ranjan Madugale approved the scoring and demerit under the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process.
“The character of the course hasn’t changed much over the course of five days and there hasn’t been any deterioration apart from the fact that the bounce has slightly decreased.
The pitch didn’t have much pace and bounce for the sailors, nor did it support the spinners as the game progressed. From my point of view, this does not represent an even battle between bat and ball. Therefore, I rate this pitch as below average according to ICC guidelines,” Madugale said in an iCC statement.
Earlier in a candid assessment, Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Ramiz Raja said: admitted that the pitch used The first Test between Australia and Pakistan in Rawalpindi was not good publicity for Test cricket.
“A tie is never good advertisement for Test cricket and I totally understand that nowadays we have to get a result in five days and we get it 90% [of the time]but I want to remind you of 2-3 things,” Raja said in a video message posted on YouTube.
Raja added that Pakistan is careful not to prepare a pitch that matches Australia’s strengths and plays into the visitors’ hands.
WARNER DEMANDS BETTER PARKING IN KARACHI
Australia opener David Warner spoke to the press in Karachi earlier in the day and called for a sportier pitch in Karachi where the 2nd Test will take place from March 12th.
“From a batsman’s point of view you can roll the same as Islamabad and hopefully I don’t get out but that’s not… what we want from a cricket point of view. They want something… Obviously it’s the breakup, something to be there for the weirdos, a little bit more art, you know, it wasn’t spinning that much.
“You saw Nathan Lyon hitting so rough, doing nothing, just walking slowly off the wicket. It wasn’t the kind of variable bounce you typically see in worn wickets.
“And like I said, we don’t know what to expect here in Karachi until we get up and see the wicket. But I just want a game where you can actually create 20 chances. It’s something that’s going to be exciting and entertaining for audiences,” Warner said.
