The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has formally appealed to the International Cricket Council (ICC) against the “poor” rating accorded to the Indore pitch. The cricket board has sought a review of Match Referee Chris Broad’s condemnation of the playing surface at the Holkar Stadium in a formal letter mailed recently by a BCCI official.
Match Referee’s verdict puts the ground at risk of suspension
The Test, which was part of the World Test Championship (WTC) and the third of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, ended inside three days with India losing by nine wickets in the first session of Day Three. However, the Match Referee’s verdict puts the Holkar Stadium at risk of suspension. According to the rules, “When a venue accumulates five demerit points (or crosses that threshold), it will be suspended from hosting any international cricket for a period of 12 months, while a venue will be suspended from staging any international cricket for 24 months when it reaches the threshold of 10 demerit points.”
Sources within the BCCI suggest that an appeal was always on the cards, as the rating appears to have been given in haste. The match referee’s adjudication of the pitch came just hours after the Test ended, which is unusual in such matters by the ICC. The BCCI officials also feel that there is room for review and downgrading the verdict to below average if possible.
ICC to form a two-member committee to review BCCI’s objection
A two-member committee of the ICC will now look into the BCCI objection. ICC General Manager Wasim Khan and Chairman of the Cricket Committee Sourav Ganguly will review the match referee’s assessment. As it is a BCCI protest, there may be some other official in the place of Ganguly who will look into the matter. Khan will, however, be one of the two adjudicators. The ICC will have to take the final call within 14 days of receiving the appeal.
An ICC reconsideration or review is not unprecedented. Recently, the world body had rescinded its decision on the Rawalpindi pitch, which was initially declared ‘Below Average’ and allotted one demerit point. But on an appeal by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the ICC went back on its rating and withdrew the punitive measure to the stadium that hosted a WTC Test between Pakistan and England from December 1 to 5.
Match Referee’s assessment of the Indore pitch
Match Referee Chris Broad felt that the Holkar Stadium pitch was dry and there was no balance between the bat and ball. “The pitch, which was very dry, did not provide a balance between bat and ball, favouring spinners from the start. The fifth ball of the match broke through the pitch surface and continued to occasionally break the surface, providing little or no seam movement, and there was excessive and uneven bounce throughout the match,” Broad was quoted as saying by the ICC. Broad’s sentencing also hinted that the two captains of the Test, Rohit Sharma and Steve Smith, were in agreement with his findings.
Final decision rests with the ICC
The BCCI has taken a strong stand against the poor rating accorded to the Indore pitch, which is an important matter considering the WTC. The final decision rests with the ICC, and it remains to be seen whether the BCCI’s appeal will have any impact on the outcome. The ICC will review the matter, and we will have to wait and see what decision they arrive at.
