Indore pitch rating changed to “below average”

Following an appeal by the Board of Control for Cricket in India pursuant to the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process, the rating of pitch used for the third Test of the ICC World Test Championship series between India and Australia at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore from 1-3 March has been changed from “poor” to “below average.”

Having reviewed footage of the Test match, the ICC appeal panel, consisting of Mr. Wasim Khan, ICC General Manager – Cricket, and Mr. Roger Harper, ICC Men’s Cricket Committee Member, were of the opinion that, while the guidelines had been followed by the Match Referee in accordance with Appendix A of the Pitch Monitoring Process, it was deemed that there was not enough excessive variable bounce to warrant the “poor” rating. Instead, the appeal panel concluded that the pitch should be rated as “below average”.

Consequently, 1 demerit point has been awarded to the venue for the “below average” rating.

NOTES TO EDITORS

• In the revisedICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process, which was introduced on 4 January 2018, if a pitch or outfield is rated as being substandard, that venue will be allocated a number of demerit points.
• One demerit point will be awarded to venues whose pitches are rated by the match referees as below average, while three and five demerit points will be awarded to venues whose pitches are marked as poor and unfit, respthe ectively.
• No demerit point will be awarded when the outfield is rated as below average, but two and five demerit points will be awarded to venues whose outfields are marked as poor and unfit, respectively.
• Demerit points will remain active for a rolling five-year period.
• 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.