XPost: uk.sport.cricket
Rohit is right in pointing out the double standards match referees apply
to Asian pitches vs SENA pitches or SPIN pitches vs SEAM/BOUNCY pitches.
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https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/rohit-calls-out-icc-for-supposed-double-standards-in-rating-pitches-hope-they-keep-their-ears-and-eyes-open-1415540
Rohit calls out ICC for supposed double standards in rating pitches:
'Hope they keep their ears and eyes open'
He took aim at the match referees and the ratings some of the pitches
received at the 2023 World Cup, held in India
Rohit Sharma has called out the ICC and the match referees for what he
sees as double standards at rating pitches. After winning the shortest
Test in the history of the game, thanks to a lottery pitch loaded too
heavily in the favour of the seam bowlers, Rohit was scathing about the
slander against pitches in India, which don't go the distance.
"I mean, we saw what happened in this match, how the pitch played and
stuff like that," Rohit said. "I honestly don't mind playing on pitches
like this. As long as everyone keeps their mouth shut in India and don't
talk too much about Indian pitches, honestly.
"Because you come here [in Test cricket] to challenge yourself. Yes, it
is dangerous. It is challenging. So, and when people come to India, it
is again pretty challenging as well. Look, when you are here to play
Test cricket, we talk about Test cricket, the ultimate prize, Test
cricket being the pinnacle and stuff like that. I think it's important
that we also stand by it.
"When you are put up against, a challenge like that, you come and face
it. That's what happens in India, but, in India on day one, if the pitch
starts turning, people start talking about 'Puff of dust! Puff of dust!' There's so much crack here on the pitch. People are not looking at that."
Rohit singled out the match referees and some of the ratings pitches
received in last year's World Cup, held in India. "I think it's
important that we stay neutral everywhere we go," Rohit said.
"Especially the match referees. You know, some of these match referees
need to keep their eye on how they rate pitches. It's quite important.
"I still can't believe that the World Cup final pitch was rated below
average [it was rated average]. A batsman got a hundred there in the
final. How can that be a poor pitch? So these are the things the ICC,
the match referees, they need to look into and start rating pitches
based on what they see, not based on the countries. I think that's quite important.
"So I hope they keep their ears open, they keep their eyes open and look
into those aspects of the game. Honestly, I'm all for pitches like this.
We want to challenge playing on pitches like this. We pride ourselves
playing on pitches like this. Uh, but all I want to say is be neutral."
n the two-Test series that just concluded, South Africa didn't bowl any
spin at all. India bowled only 19 overs of it in the first Test, and
none in the second innings. That is what Rohit railed against, asking
why a pitch that turns on day is considered inferior to one that seams.
"Honestly, I would like to see how the pitches are rated," Rohit said.
"I want to see that. Whatever... that chart, I would love to see it, how
they rate the pitches, because Mumbai, Bangalore, Cape Town, Centurion,
all different venues, overhead conditions are different. The pitches deteriorate quite fast when the sun is beating down that hard on the pitch.
"And in India as well, we know that the conditions in India will spin
without a doubt, but obviously people don't like it because it spins
from day one. But that's not the point. If the ball seams from ball one,
that's okay, right, for everyone? That's not fair. The ball starts
spinning from ball one, it should be okay, in my opinion.
"Otherwise, you stay neutral, and you start rating these kind of pitches
also bad, because if you want the ball only to seam and not turn, in my opinion, that is absolutely wrong. So that's my judgement, that's my
opinion on it. I'll stick by it because I've seen enough of cricket now
and I've seen enough of how these match referees and the ICC looks into
these ratings. I have no issues in how they want to rate, but stay
neutral to everything that you do."
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