Live Score
Cricket Teams
Cricket Players
ICC will follow due process, says Lorgat
It won’t be easy for DDCA to escape unscathed when the International Cricket Council sits down to decide on the penalty for the pitch fiasco. The final verdict will be decided by the ICC’s chief match referee Ranjan Madugale and Cricket Operations Manager Dave Richardson, reports HT Correspondent.
It won’t be easy for the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) to escape unscathed when the International Cricket Council sits down to decide on the penalty for the pitch fiasco. The final verdict will be decided by the ICC’s chief match referee Ranjan Madugale and Cricket Operations Manager Dave Richardson.
Apart from what actually unfolded at the Ferozeshah Kotla on Sunday, what could make the ICC take harsher view of the entire situation is that the DDCA completely ignored the advice of the ICC’s venue inspection committee.
The committee inspected the Kotla in November and advised the association to go for complete overhaul of the wicket, not mere transplantation of grass.
“To simply replant without this major renovation of the surface would be a major miscalculation, and would result in inadequate pitches at a later date,” the report said.
The DDCA, however, did exactly that, and the fears of the ICC’s venue inspection committee came true.
“That particular inspection was in connection with the World Cup, but I am sure it would be considered by the two gentlemen (Madugalle and Richardson),” said ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat.
While refusing to comment on the outcome of the process set to decide on the penalty, Lorgat said the ICC has already sent the notice to the BCCI.
“We have sent the notice to the BCCI and they will need to respond to us within 14 days.
Once the BCCI files their response, the Madugale and Richardson will decide on the final outcome,” said Lorgat.
The chief executive also sounded game for stricter sanctions if required for such incidents. “We already have a proper process in place, but if yesterday’s incident warrants stricter sanctions, it will be implemented,” he said.
Lorgat, however, appeared generally pleased with the state of pitches in India. “If we leave out what happened on Sunday, India, generally speaking, have quality pitches,” he said.
