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NEW DELHI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has rated the pitches used for the first Test between England and New Zealand at Lord’s and the third ODI between Pakistan and Australia at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium as “unsatisfactory” under its Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process.Both venues have consequently been handed one demerit point each following reports submitted by match referees Andy Pycroft and Graeme La Brooy.Excessive assistance for bowlers at Lord’sIn his report, Pycroft said the Lord’s surface provided too much assistance to the bowlers throughout the Test, creating an imbalance between bat and ball.“There was plenty of excessive seam movement throughout the Test and the ball also kept extremely low on several occasions. 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,” Pycroft said.The match ended inside four days, with England defeating New Zealand by 115 runs. Chasing 254 for victory, New Zealand were dismissed for 138 in their second innings as England took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.Gaddafi Stadium pitch criticised for being slow and lowThe pitch used for the third ODI between Pakistan and Australia also came under scrutiny.Match referee Graeme La Brooy observed that the surface was too slow and offered turn from an early stage, making batting difficult and rendering it unsuitable for a 50-over contest.“It did not suit an ODI game as batters had to spend more time to settle in. It helped spin very early in the match and continued the same way throughout,” La Brooy said.ECB and PCB can appealThe ICC has forwarded the reports to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Both boards have 14 days to lodge an appeal against the sanctions.Neither Lord’s nor Gaddafi Stadium carried any previous demerit points before the latest ratings.How the ICC demerit points system worksUnder ICC regulations, a venue receives one demerit point when a pitch is rated “unsatisfactory”, while a rating of “unfit” attracts three demerit points.The demerit points remain active for a rolling period of five years. A venue that accumulates six demerit points is suspended from hosting international cricket for 12 months, while reaching 12 demerit points results in a 24-month suspension.
