World Cup organisers have ordered a review of the slow pitch at the St George’s Park which will host the first semi-final next Tuesday.
The review follows criticism from Australian captain Ricky Ponting after the defending champions escaped defeat twice against England in the first round and on Tuesday against New Zealand in the Super Sixes.
”The wicket was better today than it was for the last game,” Ponting said after his team stumbled to 84-7 before coming from behind to score a 96-run win over the Kiwis.
”It was a bit damp at the start, then it played a little bit better but still I don’t think it’s a great one-day wicket.” Australia, who are due to play their semi-final at the St
George’s Park against an yet undecided opponent, will not ask for the venue to be changed.
India will feature in the second semi-final under the Kingsmead lights in Durban next Thursday after their request to shift the game elsewhere, due to what they called hazardous batting conditions in the second innings, was rejected.
World Cup executive director Ali Bacher said there was no question of the semi-final being shifted out of Port Elizabeth, but instructed the inspection of the wicket by a group of experts.
”This is not a criticism of the Eastern Province Cricket Board or the ground staff,” Bacher said in a statement.
”However, we are determined to produce a pitch for the cricket World Cup semi-final at St George’s Park that is conducive to great one-day cricket.”
The review will be carried out by Hilbert Smit, chairman of the South African groundsmen’s association, and Brian Basson, the South African cricket board’s director of cricket operations.
They will be assisted by Adrian Carter, the groundsman at the venue, and Neil Tainton, a World Cup consultant on wickets, to prepare a good batting surface.
The review begins on Wednesday, giving the experts six days to make the changes.
Australia squeezed out a narrow two-wicket win over England and were then rocked by Kiwi paceman Shane Bond on Tuesday as he grabbed 6-23 on the damp wicket.
Despite Australia’s two low-scoring games, a third match at the same venue produced a lot of runs with England scoring 272 against Namibia before the minnows replied with 217-9. – Sapa-AFP