SA vs IND 2018: Wanderers Pitch Rated 'Poor' by ICC

On the very expected lines, Andy Pycroft, the International Cricket Council (ICC) match referee, has rated the pitch for the just-concluded third Test between India and South Africa at the Bullring in Wanderers, Johannesburg as ‘poor’.

According to the new laws, the Wanderers will receive three ‘demerit points,’ which will remain active for a five-year rolling period, by the ICC.

According to the ICC’s Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process, which came into effect on January 4 this year, the venues are given demerit points according to the rating they receive in the match officials’ report. A pitch rating of “poor” attracts three demerit points while a pitch rating of “unfit” will earn the ground five demerit points.

An accumulation of five points will result in automatic suspension from hosting international matches for 12 months which means if the Wanderers accumulate two more demerit points for a poor pitch in the next five years, it could get banned from hosting matches for a year.

Meanwhile, Cricket South Africa (CSA) can appeal against this rating within two weeks of receiving the notification of the imposition of ‘demerit points.’

If the South African board challenges the match referee’s report, their appeal will be heard and determined by the ICC general manager (cricket) and the chairman of the cricket committee (or his nominee if the appeal is from the same country as the chairman).

The Wanderers pitch received severe criticism for offering uneven bounce which titled the game firmly towards the bowlers. The surface not only made it tough for the batsmen to play their shots but also saw them receiving several blows on their body by the pacers.

The pitch behaved nothing less than a minefield which compelled the umpires to end the third day’s play early after South African opener Dean Elgar was hit on the grille of his helmet by a bouncer from Jasprit Bumrah.

Later, the match referee consulted with the on-field umpires and the two captains and decided against abandoning the match. On the fourth day, India had gone on to dismiss South Africa for 177 to win the match by 63 runs.

Meanwhile, a pitch is rated ‘poor’ which does not allow an even contest between bat and ball, either by favouring the batsmen or bowlers too much.

And the Wanderers has come under fire since it “displayed excessive unevenness of bounce for any bowler at any stage of the match”.