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DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday rated the pitches at Gaddafi Stadium and Lord’s as ‘unsatisfactory’.
The opening match of the ICC Test Championship 2025-27 between England and New Zealand ended inside four days despite rain disrupting play on day three. During the fixture, 16 wickets fell on day one and 17 on day two.
The cricket governing body rated the surface as ‘unsatisfactory’ and handed the venue one demerit point under the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process.
Match referee Andy Pycroft highlighted the imbalance between bat and ball on Lord’s surface.
“There was plenty of excessive seam movement throughout the Test and the ball also kept extremely low on several occasions. The bounce was variable throughout as 16 wickets fell on the first day and 17 on the second. There was simply an over-balance in favor of ball against bat caused by the pitch,” he said.
“The pitch was slow and low and made scoring runs very difficult. It did not suit a One Day International game as batters had to spend more time to settle in. It helped spin very early in the match and continued the same way throughout,” he added.
Meanwhile, match referee Graeme La Brooy explained the reason for the unsatisfactory rating of the Gaddafi Stadium surface.
Pakistan outplayed Australia after skittling them for 157 in 42 overs in the third ODI held at Gaddafi Stadium on 4 June. In reply, the hosts chased down the target on a challenging surface in 41 overs, losing six wickets in the process
“The pitch was slow and low and made scoring runs very difficult. It did not suit a One Day International game as batters had to spend more time to settle in. It helped spin very early in the match and continued the same way throughout,” La Brooy said.
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