'ICC Has An Independent Pitch Curator..'- Pat Cummins Reacts To Pitch Switch Allegations On BCCI

As the BCCI face scrutiny over the pitch controversy, Australia’s Pat Cummins has said his team has not faced any problem in the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 so far.

Unlike in bilateral series, the host country is not allowed to prepare pitches favoring the home side during ICC tournaments. While the pitches are prepared by the host country, they are done under the supervision of an ICC consultant. There is also an agreement between the host board and the ICC regarding the selection of the playing surface for each game.

The BCCI, however, has been accused of ignoring the rules and the agreement in order to favor the home side. According to a report in The Daily Mail, the BCCI has decided to conduct the semifinal between India and New Zealand on a used pitch instead of a fresh pitch which was earlier decided.

The report stated that the match at the Wankhede Stadium was scheduled to be played at the No. 7 pitch which has not been used in the ongoing competition so far. However, the BCCI has decided to conduct the game on pitch No.6 which has hosted two league games in the course of the competition.

“But a WhatsApp message circulated on Tuesday to a group of more than 50 BCCI and ICC officials confirmed that the first semi-final had been moved to pitch No. 6, which has already staged games between England and South Africa, plus India and Sri Lanka,” the news outlet said before adding: “Atkinson is understood to have been told there is an unspecified problem with pitch No. 7 – an opinion he is thought not to share.”

Pat Cummins reacts to pitch controversy:

With the controversy about the pitch becoming a major talking point ahead of the first semifinal, Australia skipper Pat Cummins was asked about it while he was interacting with the media. In reply, the fast bowler hoped that the ICC would ensure fair pitches and stated that his team has not faced any issues with the pitch so far.

“Obviously the ICC has an independent pitch curator who manages that. I’m sure they are all over making sure it’s fair to both teams. So far in this tournament that we’ve played on, I haven’t seen any issues,” said Pat Cummins.

Meanwhile, Pat Cummins-led Australia will take on South Africa in the second semifinal on Thursday (November 16) at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.,