ICC advises ground curators to prepare sporting wickets to subdue home advantage at the 2023 ODI World Cup - Reports
International Cricket Council (ICC) head curator Andy Atkinson has informed the venue curators responsible for preparing the pitches at the 2023 ODI World Cup to minimize home advantage as much as possible. The upcoming edition of the tournament is scheduled to be held in India, which is likely to witness flat tracks with a little purchase for the spinners.
In a meeting held in Mumbai, Atkinson instructed the curators of the venues, which includes the ones hosting the warm-up contests as well, to prepare surfaces that will result in competitive matches. A total of 10 venues, along with two more for warm-up matches, have been assigned the matches of the ODI World Cup.
The advantage of playing at home has been evident when it comes to the ODI World Cup. The last three editions of the tournament have seen the home team lift the title.
In 2011, Team India won the title while co-hosting with Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. In 2015, Australia won as co-hosts with New Zealand, while England secured the title for the first time in 2019 as hosts.
A BCCI insider, who attended the meeting, told The Telegraph:
The ICC head curator said the curators should try and make sure they are not pressurised by the home team when it comes to pitch preparation. The focus should be on preparing a wicket that’s as sporting as possible and not something that favours the home side.”
"The wickets will vary as the nature of the soil isn't the same everywhere. But he wants such tracks that promise games going the distance," the source added.
The ICC has not rated India's pitches well in the recent past when it comes to the red-ball format. The pitches used for the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy were criticized, with matches not even going into the penultimate day of the contest.
When it comes to white-ball cricket, the surface used in the T20I between India and New Zealand at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow was lambasted. In the 50-over format, a lot of high scores were on offer during Team India's home season in early 2023.
The 2023 ODI World Cup will take place from October 5 to November 19
The upcoming edition of the World Cup will kickstart with a clash between England and New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The venue will also play host to the high-octane clash between India and Pakistan, as well as the finals of the tournament.
Team India will kickstart their World Cup campaign with a clash against Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on October 8.