The first semi-final clash of the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup is set to unfold at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, featuring India and New Zealand. Interestingly, the match will take place on a pitch that has seen some action before, opting for a used surface rather than a brand-new one.
As the anticipation builds for India’s crucial ICC World Cup semi-final clash with New Zealand at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday, there’s a buzz surrounding a last-minute change in the playing surface. Rumor has it that the initial pitch selection, personally chosen by ICC’s pitch guru Andy Atkinson in collaboration with the BCCI, has undergone a switcheroo.
Originally, a pristine, untouched pitch from the Wankhede block was earmarked for this high-stakes encounter. However, the latest reports suggest a twist in the tale – the chosen pitch is no longer in play. Instead, the spotlight now falls on a wicket that has already witnessed action twice in this tournament.
According to the DailyMail, the report alleges that the move has been orchestrated to favor Indian spinners against the Kiwis. A WhatsApp message circulating among Indian and ICC officials supposedly conveys that pitch No. 6 will be used instead of the initially selected No. 7. Notably, Surface No. 7 hosted the England vs South Africa and India vs Sri Lanka matches in the league stage.
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According to the World Cup’s playing conditions set by the ICC, it’s the duty of the respective ground authority to choose and get the pitch ready for any match in the tournament. In the upcoming semi-final in Mumbai, this responsibility falls on the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA).
After the initial encounter between England and New Zealand in Ahmedabad, the next three matches at the venue took an unexpected turn from the originally planned pitch. Atkinson, expressing his concerns, chose to convey them to the ICC through email.
The report indicates that even the pitch scheduled for the final on November 19 has been exchanged for one that favors spin. Following this revelation, a blame game ensued, with the BCCI and Gujarat Cricket Association pointing fingers at each other in response to Atkinson’s investigation into the party responsible for the change.
Atkinson’s email, as reported by the Daily Mail, read: “As a result of these actions, one must speculate if this will be the first ever (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. Or will it be selected or prepared without favouritism for either of the sides competing in the match in the usual manner, and unquestionably because it is the usual pitch for the occasion?”
