Multan, Rawalpindi pitches satisfactory; Kanpur outfield unsatisfactory: ICC

The International Cricket Council (ICC) delivered its pitch ratings for last month’s matches on October 7 (Thursday). Kanpur, which hosted the second Test of the two-match series between India and Bangladesh, got an ‘unsatisfactory’ rating for its outfield, which prevented play on Day 3 despite there being rain on that day. The entire day was washed out without rain. 

However, the ICC was lenient in rating the pitches of Multan and Rawalpindi, which hosted the last two Tests of the three-match series between Pakistan and England. They were rated satisfactory despite being as close to being called rank turners as possible. 

After a flat track in the first Test, where Pakistan batted to post 556 and England took a massive lead, scoring 827/7, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the team changed their strategy. They built spin-friendly wickets as 39 of the 40 English wickets to fall went to two Pakistani spinners- Sajid Khan and Noman Ali. 

According to the ICC, pitches and outfields are given ratings between very good and unfit. The scales are good, satisfactory, unsatisfactory and unfit. 

The Kanpur outfield was given one demerit point because of its unsatisfactory rating. An unfit pitch or outfield receives three demerit points. Five demerit points within a span of five years mean that the venue gets banned from hosting international cricket for the next 12 months from the date of suspension. 

If any ground receives five or more demerit points in a five-year rolling period, it is suspended from hosting any international cricket for 12 months.

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