India roared into the Finals of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup last night (15), after beating New Zealand by 70 runs.
Kohli became the first man in the history of One Day International cricket to score 50 centuries in the format, with India setting up a first-innings score of 397/4.
India will now face the winner of Thursday’s second semi-final between South Africa and Australia.
However, India’s cricket board, the BCCI, has been accused of intervening in the choice of pitch for India’s semi-final against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
The selection of pitches at the tournament is the preserve of the International Cricket Council, governed by the principle that surfaces will be chosen to promote a neutral set of conditions, neither favouring the host nation’s strengths nor devaluing the evenness of the contest for the global audience.
Wednesday’s match at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai was due to be played on a new surface but has been moved to one previously used twice.
Pitches are selected and prepared by the local groundstaff and authority with oversight from the International Cricket Council’s pitch consultant.
No regulations have been broken but it appears the ICC pitch consultant was only informed after the change had been made.
“Changes to planned pitch rotations are common towards the end of an event of this length, and has already happened a couple of times,” said an ICC spokesperson.
“This change was made on the recommendation of the venue curator in conjunction with our host.
“The ICC independent pitch consultant was apprised of the change and has no reason to believe the pitch won’t play well.”
Former England captain Michael Vaughan has said, “It is a bit of a sour taste.”
“It doesn’t sit with me that a World Cup semi-final is played on a used pitch.”
“They have played the best cricket by a country mile. They shouldn’t have got involved in what the surface should be,” he has further said.
(Agencies)
