Why the commotion on the Mumbai pitch, what do the ICC rules say? Understand complete math

New Delhi. In the World Cup 2023, Team India has entered the semi-finals riding Vijayarath. With the Indian team just one step away from the World Cup trophy, BCCI is being questioned about the pitch. Team India is all set to heal old wounds in the match between India and New Zealand. This match is being played at the Wankhede pitch in Mumbai, on which 4 matches have already been played. Now the question is, what does the ICC rule say about this?

Regarding the pitch, it is believed that a new pitch was to be used for the semi-finals. But a pitch was chosen at Wankhede on which two World Cup matches have already been played. According to ESPN Cricinfo, the match was to be played on pitch 7 at the Wankhede where no match has been played so far in this World Cup. But pitch 6 was chosen for this match. Matches between England vs South Africa and India vs Sri Lanka have been played on this pitch.

What was the plan before the semi-final?

This was against the plan prepared for the semi-finals before the World Cup. After which many veterans were seen reacting differently to the pitch. A source told ESPN Cricinfo, ‘6-8-6-8-7 was planned at Wankhede. So far 6-8-6-8 has been used. Before the semi-final match, a report by British media Daily Mail went viral, which was also criticized by Indian fans. According to Daily Mail, the BCCI changed the pitch without taking permission from the ICC. BCCI has also presented its stand on this issue. The Daily Mail quoted a BCCI spokesperson as saying that the ICC’s pitch advisors work with the host board. He has worked hard throughout this tournament. Whatever pitches are being made, they are being made under the guidance of ICC consultant Andy Attinson.

What does the ICC rule say?

According to World Cup rules, the ground authority is responsible for pitch selection and preparation before any match. The ICC also has independent pitch consultant Andy Atkinson, who works with the local groundstaff. If Team India reaches the final, they will face either Australia or South Africa. In such a situation, Kangaroo team captain Pat Cummins has expressed confidence in the ICC regarding the pitch.

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He said, ‘Yes, I have seen it (the report). Apparently the ICC has an independent pitch curator managing it, so I’m sure they’re making sure it’s suitable for both teams. So far, we have not seen any problems on the pitches we have played on in this tournament.

However, if we look at the rules, there is no rule that says that knockout matches should be played on new pitches. This is just one condition in their pitch and outfield monitoring process. ‘It is expected that the venues entrusted with hosting the match will provide the best possible pitch and outfield conditions for the match.’ Four years ago, both the semi-final matches of the 2019 ODI World Cup in England were played on fresh pitches at Old Trafford and Edgbaston. But the T20 World Cup 2022 was the opposite where the semi-final matches were played on an already used pitch.

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Tags: BCCI, ICC, ICC Rules, Team India, World Cup 2023