Mirpur pitch rated ‘unsatisfactory’, handed demerit point

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday announced that the pitch for the second Test of the ICC World Test Championship series between Bangladesh and New Zealand at Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur has been rated as “unsatisfactory” under the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process.

ICC Match Referee, David Boon, submitted his report to the ICC expressing the concerns of the match officials and after consulting with the captains of both teams. Following the assessment, the venue has received one demerit point.
The report has been forwarded to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), who now have 14 days if they wish to appeal against the sanction.

Mr Boon said,“The outfield was very good and held up extremely well with the rain. However, it appeared that the pitch may have been under prepared, as it was not hard and was covered in grass clippings on day one. From the first session onwards, throughout the remainder of the match the bounce was inconsistent with numerous balls bursting the surface. Deliveries from spin bowlers often went over the batter’s shoulder when playing forward and then occasionally stayed very low.”