Curators have been ordered to prepare supporting pitches in the matches for demolition. Photo: File
Karachi: Home advantage in the World Cup began to falter in the eyes of the ICC, ordering the curators to prepare balanced pitches for the break.
With the ODI World Cup scheduled to be played in India this time in October-November, the ICC wants to ensure that it does not get a home advantage, for which the curators are balanced across all 10 venues and stadiums for the 2 warm-up matches. Instructions for preparing pitches have been issued.
Questions are being raised about the trend of the host teams winning the ODI World Cup, with India winning the title at home in 2011, followed by Australia in 2015 and England in 2019. This home advantage has also become a concern for the ICC, which is why Andy Atkinson, the chief curator of the world governing body, started trying to prepare pitches where there is a complete balance between the bat and the ball.
Also read: World Cup; When and where will Pakistan’s warm-up matches be held?
According to a BCCI official who attended the meeting, Atkinson urged the curator not to come under any pressure from the host team and prepare supporting pitches. He said that the focus should be on making pitches that are supportive and not on making tracks that will benefit the host team. Let the competition go ahead.
It should be noted that the quality of pitches in India has come under criticism recently, especially during the Test series from Australia this year, there were many complaints about the pitches, so the ICC wants to avoid such problems for its showpiece event.
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