ODI World Cup 2023: The megafinal pitch problem is still present

India and Australia will square off against one another in the finals of the ODI World Cup 2023 on Sunday, November 19, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

A major controversy erupted ahead of India’s semi-final match versus New Zealand at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. There were serious claims that the BCCI, the Board of Control for Cricket in India, had altered the surface that was initially scheduled for the match. The match was played on an old pitch rather than a brand-new one, supposedly to aid the Indian spinners. But 724 runs were scored on a pitch that was as good as any in the tournament.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) acknowledged that the pitch had been altered, but they also stated that Andy Atkinson, their pitch specialist, had to give his consent before the changes could be made. The ICC further stated that there is no regulation dictating that knockout games have to be played on brand-new fields and that last-minute pitch modifications are common in a protracted competition such as the ODI World Cup.

The dispute has already resurfaced, though, because Atkinson was absent 48 hours prior to the summit match while the Narendra Modi Stadium pitch was being prepped. The New Zealander is expected to join the preparations on Saturday after arriving in Ahmedabad on Friday afternoon, according to sources.

“Andy is still not home. He did not descend to the ground because he arrived this afternoon with the ICC mission. He will be accessible tomorrow to check on the track’s preparation, according to a source close to the ICC.

Players should play on the pitch that the curator has created.  Ian Chappell

According to former Australian captain Ian Chappel, the players should play on the good surface provided by the curators, and the curators should be left to perform their job. Conspiracy theorists are asked to leave, according to the renowned former cricket player.

“I think the same as I’ve always thought: that the curator should make the pitch and the players play on it and it should be up to no one else other than the curator, the local curator,” Chappell stated to Wide World of Sports.

“I’ve always said about every pitch—don’t worry about World Cups or anything else—the curator makes the pitch, and everybody else stays out of it,” he stated.