The International Cricket Council (ICC) has officially labeled the pitch for the second Test in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship series between South Africa and India at Newlands in Cape Town as unsatisfactory.
The ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process determined the pitch’s inadequacy, leading to concerns raised by match officials and supported by both team captains, Dean Elgar and Rohit Sharma. As a result of this assessment, the Newlands venue has incurred one demerit point.
The ICC Match Referee, Chris Broad, highlighted the challenging nature of the Newlands pitch, emphasizing its difficulty for batsmen.
Broad’s report outlined that the ball exhibited quick and unpredictable bounce throughout the match, creating a challenging environment for shot execution. Several batters faced difficulties, getting hit on the gloves, and numerous wickets fell due to the awkward bounce.
Under the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process, demerit points are allocated to venues with substandard pitches or outfields. In this case, one demerit point has been awarded to Newlands for an unsatisfactory pitch. It is worth noting that demerit points remain active for a rolling five-year period.
Cricket South Africa has been notified of the pitch’s unsatisfactory rating, and they have a window of 14 days to appeal against the sanction. The governing body will review the appeal and take appropriate action accordingly.
Chris Broad commented on the pitch, stating, “The pitch in Newlands was very difficult to bat on. The ball bounced quickly and sometimes alarmingly throughout the match, making it difficult to play shots. Several batters were hit on the gloves and many wickets also fell due to the awkward bounce.”
The demerit points system aims to maintain the quality of pitches and outfields in international cricket. Venues accumulating six demerit points within a five-year period face a 12-month suspension from hosting international cricket.
Furthermore, a venue reaching the threshold of 12 demerit points will be suspended from staging any international cricket for a 24-month period.
This development underscores the ICC’s commitment to ensuring fair and safe playing conditions for international cricket matches.
