BCCI accused of switching pitch ahead of Ind vs NZ semi-final
Rohit Sharma
|| CF DESK ||
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The India Cricket Team, BCCI, has been accused of changing the pitch for their semi-final against New Zealand on Wednesday in Mumbai.
This move has caused controversy as it was done without the formal approval of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and has raised eyebrows.
As per the rules, the pitches during an ICC competition are prepared under the supervision of the governing body’s consultant. The apex body of the game agrees in advance on the surface to be used. However, the Daily Mail has reported that the agreement has been ignored by Indian officials.
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ICC consultant Andy Atkinson and the BCCI had already reached an agreement regarding the pitch for the semifinal.
The concerned parties had selected an unused surface for the semifinal between India and New Zealand. However, the match is now all set to be played on a surface that has already been used twice in the course of the tournament.
This unexpected change has raised questions about fairness and adherence to pre-agreed arrangements for pitch allocations.
The BCCI said the Gujarat Cricket Association authorised the changes while the GCA claimed they were acting under instructions from the BCCI, with the requests coming from Indian team management, claimed the Daily Mail.
