Team India so far has been unbeatable in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023. They finished the league stage of the tournament as the no. 1 team, defeating 9 different teams and grabbing 18 points. Their next mission is to defeat New Zealand in the semi-final on Wednesday and storm into the finals. Moreover, the men in blue would look to seek revenge for what transpired four years back in England – a rain-curtailed semi-final in 2019 which India lost by 18 runs. But prior to the much-awaited face-off, the pitch to be used has come under the scanner.
IND vs NZ ICC World Cup 2023 Semi Final Live
According to Daily Mail UK, “Indian board have switched the pitch for their team’s semi-final on Wednesday against New Zealand in Mumbai without the ICC’s permission.”
The strips for the ICC events are prepared under the supervision of the global cricketing body’s consultant who agrees in advance with the home board on which track would be used for each game. Andy Atkinson was assigned the role for the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.
However, the report stated that the track at Wankhede has been changed, accusing the BCCI of ignoring the agreement right before the semi-final against the Kiwis. The pitch for Wednesday’s game was supposed to be No. 7, a fresh and unused surface, which eventually changed to No. 6.
Meanwhile, Atkinson have been told that there is an unspecified problem with the pitch no. 7.
The changes in Mumbai have prompted a similar change in track at Narendra Modi Stadium which is going to host the final on Sunday. As a result, Atkinson flew down to Ahmedabad last Friday.
Follow all the action from the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 including the World Cup schedule, World Cup 2023 results, and ICC Cricket World Cup points table. Players are vying to top the World Cup 2023 Most Runs and World Cup 2023 Most Wickets charts.
The report further claimed that the matter got complicated after the ICC senior events manager at the venue stated that the India vs Pakistan on October 14 took place on pitch 7 as per the schedule, but it actually took place on pitch No 5.
Slow Pitch expected at Wankhede
According to India Express, Team India think tank had informed the Wankhede curator about their preference – preparing a slow track. Captain Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid had a closed look at the pitch on Monday after arriving at the venue.
“It won’t be a turner but the team had asked for a slow pitch. It was the main reason we shaved off the grass,” the daily quoted a Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) official as saying.
Comments
0 comment