The International Cricket Council (ICC) has declared the pitch for the second Test of the ICC World Test Championship series between Bangladesh and New Zealand at Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur as "unsatisfactory" under the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process.
The announcement follows concerns raised by match officials, including ICC Match Referee David Boon, who submitted a report expressing reservations after consulting with the captains of both teams. Consequently, the venue has incurred one demerit point.
Also read: Shakib to continue as Bangladesh Captain, BCB confirms
In his report, Boon highlighted that while the outfield performed well despite rain, the pitch appeared to be underprepared. On the first day, it was observed to be not hard and covered in grass clippings.
The report has been forwarded to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), which has a 14-day window to appeal against the sanction if they choose to do so.
"The outfield was very good and held up extremely well with the rain. However, it appeared that the pitch may have been underprepared, as it was not hard and was covered in grass clippings on day one,” Boon remarked.
Also read: Dhaka Test: Quick Wickets Daunt New Zealand in Pursuit of 137
“From the first session onwards, throughout the remainder of the match, the bounce was inconsistent, with numerous balls bursting the surface. Deliveries from spin bowlers often went over the batter's shoulder when playing forward and then occasionally stayed very low,” he further added.