ICC rates Lord's, Gaddafi Stadium pitches 'unsatisfactory'
New Delhi, June 9
The pitches used for the first England vs New Zealand Test at Lord's in London, and the third Pakistan vs Australia ODI at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium have been rated 'unsatisfactory', with both venues receiving one demerit point under the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process, according to the ICC website.
The first ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle Test between England and New Zealand ended within four days despite severe rain disruption on Day 3 and saw both teams lose 16 and 17 wickets respectively on Days 1 and 2. As a result, the ICC have rated the surface as 'unsatisfactory', and the venue has received one demerit point.
In his report, match referee Andy Pycroft said the Lord's pitch offered excessive seam movement, inconsistent and sometimes very low bounce, and heavily favoured bowlers over batters, as 33 wickets fell in the first two days of the Test.
"There was plenty of excessive seam movement throughout the Test, and the ball also kept extremely low on several occasions. The bounce was variable throughout as 16 wickets fell on the first day and 17 on the second. There was simply an over-balance in favour of ball against bat caused by the pitch," he said.
Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium, which hosted the 3rd ODI between Australia and Pakistan on June 4, also received an 'unsatisfactory' rating.
Match referee Graeme La Brooy said the Gaddafi Stadium pitch was slow and low, making scoring difficult and unsuited to ODI cricket.
"The pitch was slow and low and made scoring runs very difficult. It did not suit a One Day International game as batters had to spend more time to settle in. It helped spin very early in the match and continued the same way throughout," La Brooy said of the Gaddafi Stadium pitch.
— ANI
Reader Comments
About time! For years, Indian pitches were criticized, but Lord's showing excessive seam movement and low bounce is ironic. ICC is right to penalize both venues equally. But let's be honest—Gaddafi Stadium has been struggling with pitch quality lately; PCB needs to invest better grass preparation. Match referees are finally consistent in their evaluations.
Interesting double standard no one talks about: when Indian pitches are 'dust bowls' they're downgraded, but bouncy seaming tracks abroad are called 'character-building'. Lord's was unplayable—33 wickets in 2 days! That's not Test cricket, that's a lottery. Glad ICC is being impartial. But Pakistan must improve; slow-low tracks kill excitement in ODIs.
Honestly, both pitches sound awful for different reasons. Lord's had inconsistent bounce that could endanger players—low bouncers can hurt. Gaddafi Stadium's slow-low track made ODI matches a slog. As an Indian fan, I appreciate ICC's strict monitoring. Pitches should offer fair contest between bat and ball, not extreme advantage to one side. ECB and PCB need to take note.
Fair assessment by ICC. Lord's has always been bowler-friendly, but this was extreme—even Anderson might have been surprised by how much seam was on offer! 😅 For Pakistan, they need to remember: ODI is about 300-plus scores, not 200 struggles. Both venues got what they deserved. Hopefully curators learn—cricket should be entertainment, not anxiety for batsmen!
N Neha E < We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.