The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) pitch for the fourth Ashes Test has been rated “poor” by the ICC after last week’s drawn clash between Australia and England saw only 24 wickets fall over five days.
“The bounce of the MCG pitch was medium, but slow in pace and got slower as the match progressed,” match referee Ranjan Madugalle said in his report to the ICC, reflecting the concerns of the match officials over the performance of the pitch.
“The nature of the pitch did not change over the five days and there was no natural deterioration. As such, the pitch did not allow an even contest between the bat and the ball as it neither favoured the batsmen too much nor it gave the bowlers sufficient opportunity to take wickets.”
Cricket Australia (CA) has two weeks to respond to the report, the sport’s governing body said in a statement.
Chief Executive James Sutherland said CA will strive to avoid a repeat and discuss the matter with the administrators of the ground. “Such a rating is extremely disappointing for all involved,” Sutherland said. “We work closely with all our venues to encourage the best possible international cricket playing environment. We’ll be taking on board advice from the ICC, players and relevant experts to work with the Melbourne Cricket Club to ensure this rating is not repeated.”
