In an unexpected turn of events just a day before the semi-final match between India and New Zealand in the 2023 ODI World Cup, India has faced accusations of changing the designated pitch without the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) permission.
According to a report in a British publication, ICC’s pitch consultant, Andy Atkinson, who typically oversees the selection of playing surfaces, discovered through a WhatsApp message that pitch no. 6 had been chosen for the semi-final instead of the agreed-upon pitch no. 7 at Wankhede Stadium.
The latter had been earmarked for the semi-final and kept unused until that point in the tournament, but the conditions were allegedly altered to favor India’s bowling.
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Pitch no. 6 had already hosted two matches in the tournament, namely England vs South Africa and India vs Sri Lanka. Using a surface that has been previously used could potentially enhance the role of India’s spin bowlers.
Furthermore, it was revealed that the pitch for the final at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium might also be switched to a previously used surface to benefit India’s spinners.
Despite inquiries, Atkinson received vague explanations for the change in pitch selection and flew to Ahmedabad to find multiple alterations to the tournament’s pitch choices. The report suggests that these changes raise questions about whether this could be the first ICC Cricket World Cup final with a pitch specifically chosen and prepared based on the requests of the team management or the home nation board’s hierarchy.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) claims that the decisions to switch pitches were made by the local cricket association, but the association, in turn, has pointed to pressure from the BCCI.
