Match Referee Alan Hurst's report has slammed the Kotla pitch calling it 'unfit' in his official report to the ICC, which was forwarded to the BCCI. The classification is the worst of six possible categories which could mean that the venue could be out of contention for the 2011 World Cup.
Match Referee Alan Hurst's report has slammed the Kotla pitch calling it 'unfit' in his official report to the ICC, which was forwarded to the BCCI. The classification is the worst of six possible categories which could mean that the venue could be out of contention for the 2011 World Cup.
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The classification is the harshest among the six stated categories - very good, good, above average, below average, poor and unfit. The venue could have got away with a fine had Hurst classified the surface as "poor" but given his most critical assessment, means the venue will attract a suspension of the status to host international matches for a period between 12 and 24 months.
This pitch did not meet the requirements for an ODI match," Hurst is quoted by the Hindustan Times as saying in his report.
"This meant the players were unsure of what the ball would do. Playing shots was risky because of the unpredictable bounce. However, of more concern was the dangerous bounce that occurred randomly and accounted for batsmen being struck on a number of occasions.
"At the other extreme, bounce was often very low. This pitch did not allow players to play with any confidence and was totally unsuitable for international cricket."
The ICC's latest code of conduct regarding poor pitches states that a first such breach should be met with "a suspension of the venue's international status for a period of between 12 and 24 months together with a directive for appropriate remedial action and the need for prior ICC re-accreditation as an international venue".
The BCCI has been given 14 days to respond to Hurst's report. Its reply, in addition to the report, video footage of the abandoned game and other significant documents, will be studied by the ICC's chief referee Ranjan Madugalle and its cricket operations manager Dave Richardson, who will determine the penalty.
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