The International Cricket Council (ICC) has revoked its demerit point imposed on the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The demerit point was issued earlier for the Stadium pitch which hosted the third and final ODI against Australia in June. The hosts won the game and ended up winning the series 2-1 after Australia decided to bat first and put up 157 in 42 overs. While even the hosts found it difficult to chase the total, Abdul Samad and Shadab Khan stepped up and guided the side over the line.
Later, the global cricketing body handed them a demerit point following an ‘Unsatisfactory’ rating. The panel noted that while the guidelines of the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process were followed, the "the pitch did not demonstrate excessive unevenness or spin." However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) submitted an appeal, to which the ICC responded by rescinding the merit point. According to the official statement released by the ICC, “The ICC Appeals Panel arrived at the determinations after reviewing match footage, Match Referees’ reports and official comments from the respective team captains.”
ICC Cancels Demerit Point Handed to Maple Leaf Cricket Ground Toronto
Apart from taking a u-turn on its decision regarding the Gaddafi Stadium, the global body also revoked the demerit point handed to Toronto’s Maple Leaf Cricket Ground in King City. ICC issued the ‘Unsatisfactory’ rating to the venue for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 game between the United States of America and the Netherlands on June 8. An ‘unfit’ rating was also given for a subsequent match of the same series between Canada and the Netherlands on June 16.
“Regarding the 8 June fixture, the Appeals Panel felt that while guidelines had been followed by the Match Referee, the condition of the surface ‘was consistent with that of a satisfactory pitch’ and ‘did not demonstrate excessive unevenness, seam movement or spin,’ leading to the withdrawal of the demerit point.
“However, the three demerit points imposed for the ‘Unfit’ rating on 16 June remain on record for the venue. The panel considered that ‘the condition of the pitch was dangerous and thus consistent with that of an Unfit pitch.’ Following the rulings, the Maple Leaf Cricket Ground holds three demerit points on its record, while Gaddafi Stadium carries zero demerit points,” the release read.
