The International Cricket Council (ICC) has declared the pitches of Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, and the historic cricket ground Lord’s as unsatisfactory and issued one demerit point each to both venues.
This strict action by the ICC has been taken due to the poor condition of the pitches during the third One-Day International (ODI) matches played against Australia. Match referee Andrew Pycroft submitted his report to the ICC regarding the pitch of Lord’s Cricket Ground, while match referee Graeme Labroy submitted his detailed report to the Council regarding the pitch of Gaddafi Stadium Lahore.
Graeme Labroye was highly critical of the Lahore pitch, stating in the report that the pitch at Gaddafi Stadium was very slow and had very low bounce, making it very difficult for batsmen to score runs. He added that the pitch was not up to the standards of an ODI and that the batters faced severe difficulties in setting up their creases and playing shots during the match.
According to ICC rules, the cricket boards of both countries (Pakistan Cricket Board and England and Wales Cricket Board) have 14 days to appeal against the decision, where they can present their position against the punishment.
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