The International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Tuesday, December 12, that they reviewed the second Test between Bangladesh and New Zealand from last week and found the pitch "unsatisfactory."
The Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka hosted the second Test match between Bangladesh and New Zealand, where fifteen wickets fell on the first day and neither team scored more than 180 in an innings.
However, New Zealand won the Test, leveling the two-match Test series 1-1 against Bangladesh. After sharing the trophy with Bangladesh, New Zealand captain Tim Southee criticized the pitch, calling it the "worst wicket" in his career.
Now, the ICC has rated the pitch in Dhaka as "unsatisfactory” and said that the match referee, David Boon, also agreed that the pitch wasn't up to par for the second Test last week.
Boon's report to the ICC said: “It appeared that the pitch may have been under-prepared, as it was not hard and was covered in grass clippings on day one. From the first session onwards, throughout the remainder of the match, the bounce was inconsistent with numerous balls bursting the surface.”
The report further said, “Deliveries from spin bowlers often went over the batter's shoulder when playing forward and then occasionally stayed very low.”
The Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium was also issued one demerit point by the ICC for an "unsatisfactory" rating. This demerit point will be valid for five years and if the venue gets six points, then it will be banned from hosting international cricket matches for a year.
(With AFP Inputs)
