Chittagong pitch rated below average by ICC

The pitch in Chittagong's Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Cricket Stadium for the first of two Test matches between host Bangladesh and visiting Sri Lanka has been rated “below average” by ICC Elite Panel match referee David Boon. As such, the wicket in the port city has received one demerit point in accordance with the ICC pitch and outfield monitoring process. The demerit point will remain active for a rolling five-year period and if during this five-year period the ZACCS reaches the threshold of five demerit points, then the venue will be suspended from staging any international cricket for a duration of 12 months. Boon, whose report has been forwarded to the BCB, said, "The pitch provided no seam movement to the fast bowlers with the new ball and also lacked carry and bounce throughout the match. The pitch did offer occasional slow turn for the spinners early on, but it did not deteriorate as much as would have been expected as the match progressed, resulting in a pitch that too heavily favoured the batsmen across the five days." Five centuries and six half-centuries were scored in the Chittagong Test which saw Bangladesh post 513 runs and 307 for the loss of five wickets, and Sri Lanka amass a colossal 713 losing nine wickets declared in their only innings.

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Also read: Chittagong wicket was really good, says Mahmudullah

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As per the ICC pitch and outfield monitoring process, one demerit point is awarded to venues whose pitches are rated by the match referees as below average, while three and five demerit points are awarded to venues whose pitches are marked as poor and unfit, respectively. The sanction by the ICC came at a time when the Bangladesh cricketers showed satisfaction regarding the wicket after the run-fest game ended in a draw. Bangladesh were challenged following Sri Lanka's 713/9d in the first innings. The Tigers going into the final day of the game needed to survive the day which they accomplished brilliantly as the indefatigable Mominul Haque registered his second hundred in the game, supported magnificently by wicketkeeper-batsman Liton Das, who made 94. Bangladesh had scored 307/5 when captains of the two teams decided to end the game in a draw. Following the game, Bangladesh stand-in captain Mahmudullah and Sri Lanka batsman Dimuth Karunaratne offered different views with regards to the wicket that produced the second highest match aggregates - 1533 runs - in history. A delighted Mahmudullah said the pitch was good enough for Test cricket while a frustrated Karunaratne, who was out for nought in the only innings, stated that the track was not good for five-dayers, as it had nothing in it for the bowlers. The match had also recorded the lowest wickets count - 24 - in matches that had more than 2000 balls delivered. Last year, following the Bangladesh-Australia Test, the outfield at Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka was rated "poor" by the ICC.