The International Cricket Council (ICC) has rated the pitches at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London and Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore as “Unsatisfactory” following recent international matches, issuing one demerit point to each venue under its Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process.
The decision comes after match referees raised concerns over playing conditions during the England–New Zealand Test at Lord’s and the Pakistan–Australia ODI in Lahore.
ICC flags pitch concerns at two iconic venues
The ICC’s assessment was based on detailed reports submitted by match referees Andy Pycroft (Lord’s) and Graeme La Brooy (Gaddafi Stadium), who both highlighted difficult playing conditions for batters.
Both venues have now been formally placed under monitoring, with demerit points recorded against them.
Match referee Andy Pycroft reported that the Lord’s surface produced excessive seam movement and extremely low bounce throughout the Test match between England and New Zealand.
He noted that conditions heavily favoured bowlers, with 16 wickets falling on the first day and 17 on the second, making batting unusually difficult.
According to his report, the pitch showed a clear imbalance between bat and ball, with variable bounce affecting the quality of play.
Lahore ODI pitch also rated ‘unsatisfactory’
At Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, match referee Graeme La Brooy described the pitch as slow and low, making stroke play challenging during the third ODI between Pakistan and Australia.
He said batters had to spend significant time adjusting, while spin bowlers found assistance early in the match and throughout the game.
The conditions, he noted, were not suitable for a One Day International format due to limited scoring opportunities.
Official process and sanctions
The reports have been forwarded to the respective boards — the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) — both of which now have 14 days to appeal the decision.
Under ICC rules, venues receive:
- 1 demerit point for an “Unsatisfactory” rating
- 3 demerit points for an “Unfit” rating
Demerit points remain active for five years. A venue faces suspension if it reaches six points within that period.
The ICC confirmed that both Lord’s and Gaddafi Stadium currently have no previous demerit points, making this the first recorded sanction for both venues under the monitoring system.
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