A shocking accusation has rocked the ongoing Cricket World Cup 2023. As per a report by Mail Sports, ICC consultant Andy Atkinson has accused the BCCI of not following the ICC’s protocol. Atkinson has claimed that BCCI has violated a clause set by the ICC, whereby the home board has to disclose the number of pitches that can be used on a certain ground.
The ICC consultant told Mail Sport that BCCI has ignored the rule and that a different pitch could be used for the World Cup Final on November 19 at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
This raises the concern among fans that BCCI may change the pitch used in the final according to their preference without keeping the ICC in the loop and therefore trying to gain an unfair advantage.
Andy Atkinson blasts BCCI
Atkinson highlighted that he and the ICC, by proxy, have not received a straight answer from the BCCI when it comes to the preparations for the final. This miscommunication led the consultant to fly to Ahmedabad and take a look himself.
Atkinson has claimed that changes to the pitches were made without informing the ICC beforehand. He was also relieved that pitch number 5 was used for the blockbuster India vs Pakistan match, but as per schedule, the match was supposed to be played at pitch number 7.
The ICC personnel then said BCCI could use pitch number 6 for the final on November 19, as two matches have been played on the surface and will aid the Indian spinners, whereas pitch number 5 is his recommendation as only one match has been played on it so far.
The matter is further complicated by conflicting statements about who authorized the pitch changes. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) attributes the decisions to the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA), while the GCA claims they were acting under instructions from the BCCI and the Indian team management.
‘As a result of these actions, one must speculate if this will be the first ever ICC CWC [cricket World Cup] final to have a pitch which has been specifically chosen and prepared to their stipulation at the request of the team management and/or the hierarchy of the home nation board.’ Atkinson wrote in his mail.
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