Ex-Indian cricket team skipper Sunil Gavaskar has expressed his concerns regarding the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the way it rates cricket pitches. He expressed the possibility of the ICC being biased in rating the cricket pitches, given the early finish to the fourth test series of the Ashes series in Melbourne.
Melbourne Test Ends in Two Days
- The fourth Test played in Melbourne recorded 36 wickets in two days. On the first day, a total of 20 wickets were recorded, and on the second day, a total of 16 wickets were recorded. Gavaskar described how a pitch like this could receive a very high rating even though the match is completed within a short time.
- The first test of the Ashes series in Perth was also over in two days, and 32 wickets dropped there. The pitch was labeled 'Very Good' by the ICC. Gavaskar said that the ratings could be different, as the match referee is now Jeff Crowe.Earlier, the match referee was Ranjan Madugalle, and he labeled the Perth pitch 'Very Good'. Gavaskar said that the Melbourne pitch may get only 'Good'.
Criticism regarding the ICC Rating System
- Gavaskar did not like ICC's treatment of Indian wickets as they rated them lower. He pointed out that Indian wicket curators receive criticism and their wickets are rated as poor, but foreign wickets receive positive ratings.
- At the same time, he shared that the Melbourne Test trimmed to the third shortest test match played in the history of Australia, with only 852 balls being bowled. The Perth test had 847 balls, and another test between Australia and South Africa that ended in Perth in 1932 had 656 balls.
Captains and Experts Raise Their Concerns
After the test match in Melbourne, the two team captains, Steve Smith and Ben Stokes, criticized the pitch for favoring bowlers. Former test players also concurred that the pitch favored bowlers.
