ICC declares Rawalpindi Test wicket substandard
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has declared the wicket of the first Test match between Pakistan and Australia played in Rawalpindi as substandard. The ICC match referee declared the Rawalpindi Test wicket below average, after which the Test center was awarded a de-merit point. In this regard, match referee Ranjan Madugalle said that during the five days of the Test, the behavior of the wicket did not change at all and despite the slight bounce, the wicket did not suffer from any damage.
He said that there was no speed or bounce for fast bowlers in the wicket nor did it provide any support to the spinners in the match. He said that the wicket did not allow any competition between the bat and the ball, so in light of the ICC guidelines, the wicket is considered substandard.
The ICC report regarding the wicket has also been sent to the Pakistan Cricket Board. It should be noted that in the first Test match of the series played in Rawalpindi, the batsmen of both teams scored a lot of runs but it was impossible for the bowlers to win this wicket.
Pakistan declared the first innings at 476 for four thanks to the centuries of Imam-ul-Haq and Azhar Ali, in response to which Australia also scored 459 runs in the first innings. The Pakistani openers had scored 252 runs in the second innings without any loss and the match was drawn. The second Test match of the series between the two teams will be played in Karachi from Saturday.
