The International Cricket Council has upheld the decision to impose one demerit point on Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka for a “below average” pitch used during the second and final Test match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, held from February 8-10 this year.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board’s appeal against the sanction was considered by Geoff Allardice, general manager – cricket, and Anil Kumble, chair of the cricket committee, who after taking into account the grounds for appeal and other relevant information, came to the conclusion that the rating given by David Boon of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC match referees was correct.
Boon had rated the pitch below average according to the ICC pitch and outfield monitoring process, citing uneven bounce throughout the match and inconsistent turn.
In the revised ICC pitch and outfield monitoring process, which was introduced on January 4, 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.
