ICC slams ‘poor’ outfields at Kingsmead, Queen’s Park Oval

Cricket South Africa and the West Indies Cricket Board have 14 days to provide their responses.

Dubai

: Following the fourth India-West Indies Test and first Test between South Africa and New Zealand were marred by rain and poor ground conditions, International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday rated the outfields at Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain and Kingsmead, Durban as “poor”.

ICC in its media release said: “Andy Pycroft and Ranjan Madugalle, both from the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees, in accordance with Clause 3 of the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process, submitted their reports to the ICC in which they have expressed their concerns over the quality of the outfields for the first Test between South Africa and New Zealand, and the fourth Test between the West Indies and India, respectively.”

While the fourth and final Test between Virat Kohli-led India and Jason Holder’s West Indies side became the fifth shortest Test in terms of balls bowled, South Africa-New Zealand game in Durban came to standstill after 99.4 overs were bowled.

“The reports have been forwarded to Cricket South Africa (CSA) and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), who now have 14 days to provide their responses,” added the media release.

“The CSA’s response will be reviewed by ICC’s General Manager – Cricket, Geoff Allardice, and Mr Madugalle, while Mr Allardice and David Boon, also from the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees, will assess the WICB’s reply. Both the matters will be decided in accordance with Clause 4 of the process,” concluded ICC.