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-anticipated pitch also earned a demerit point after both teams met for the first time in 24 years in a boring draw on solid Pakistan grounds.
Pakistan declared 476/4 in their first innings before bowling out Australia for 459 on the final day. In reply, Pakistan posted 252/0 as both openers Abdullah Shafiq and Imam-ul-Haq scored one hundred each. Despite bowling for almost 3 days in Pakistan, the bowlers worked hard on the Rawalpindi pitch with Australia’s all-powerful attack.
The ratings and demerit points are approved by match referee Ranjan Madugalle in accordance with the ICC pitch and outfield monitoring procedure.
“During the five days there has been hardly any change in the character of the pitch and there has been no degradation except for a little bit of bounce.
The pitch didn’t have a lot of pace and bounce for the fast bowlers, nor did it help the spinners as the match progressed. In my view, this does not represent an equal competition between bat and ball. Therefore, keeping in mind the ICC guidelines, I consider this pitch to be below average,” Madugalle said in an ICC statement.
Earlier, the President of Pakistan Cricket Board, Ramiz Raja, in an honest assessment, acknowledged that the pitch used The first Test between Australia and Pakistan in Rawalpindi was not a good advertisement for Test cricket.
“A drawn match is never a good advertisement for Test cricket, and I completely understand that we need to get results in five days these days, and we get 90% of it. [of the time]But let me remind you 2-3 things,” Raja said in a video message posted on YouTube.
Raja also said that Pakistan is careful not to prepare a pitch that suits Australia’s strength and plays in the hands of spectators.
Warner calls for better pitch in Karachi
Speaking to the press in Karachi earlier in the day, Australia opener David Warner called for another playing pitch in Karachi, which will host the second Test starting March 12.
“From a batsman’s point of view, you can roll like Islamabad, and hopefully I don’t get out, but that’s not what we want from a cricket point of view. You want something… obviously ‘It’s a break up, be something for the spinners. A little more sort of, you know, it wasn’t that much.
He said, “You saw Nathan Lyon when he was hitting the rough, not doing anything, he was going pretty straight on the slow pace of the wicket. It was not the kind of variable bounce that you usually get on bad wickets. But let’s see.
“And like I said before, we don’t know what we’re expecting here in Karachi until we rock and see the wickets. But I just want one game if you can really make 20 chances. This is something that is going to be exciting and entertaining for the crowd,” Warner said.