Pallekele pitch rated as ’below average’ by ICC

Ranjan Madugalle of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees has rated the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium pitch – Kandy that was used for the first Test between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh as “below average” and the venue has received one demerit point under the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process.

Madugalle said: “The character of the pitch hardly changed over the course of five days. There was no shift in balance between bat and ball as the game progressed. The pitch remained batting friendly throughout, resulting in a total of 1,289 runs scored in the match for the loss of 17 wickets at an average of 75.82 runs per wicket, which is very high. Therefore, in keeping with the ICC guidelines I rate this pitch as below average.”

Madugalle’s report has been forwarded to Sri Lanka Cricket.

ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process

• In the revised ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process, which was introduced on 4 January 2018, if a pitch or outfield is rated as being substandard, that venue will be allocated a number of demerit points.
• One demerit point will be awarded to venues whose pitches are rated by the match referees as ‘below average’, while three and five demerit points will be awarded to venues whose pitches are marked as ‘poor’ and ‘unfit’, respectively.
• No demerit point will be awarded when the outfield is rated as ‘below average’, but two and five demerit points will be awarded to venues whose outfields are marked as ‘poor’ and ‘unfit’, respectively.
• Demerit points will remain active for a rolling five-year period.
• When a venue accumulates five demerit points (or crosses that threshold), it will be suspended from hosting any international cricket for a period of 12 months, while a venue will be suspended from staging any international cricket for 24 months when it reaches the threshold of 10 demerit points.