ICC releases pitch ratings for Border-Gavaskar Trophy, SCG pitch rated as ‘satisfactory’

Sydney Cricket Ground. (Photo Source: X(Twitter/SCG)

The ICC has released its pitch ratings for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with the Perth Stadium, Adelaide Oval, Gabba and the MCG pitches all receiving the highest ‘very good’ rating and the SCG given the second top category ‘satisfactory’.

The ratings system was revamped in 2023 to reduce the number of ratings from six to four – very good, satisfactory, unsatisfactory and unfit. Venues are given demerit points if they receive unsatisfactory or unfit ratings. In the same regard, Peter Roach, who is the head of Cricket Operations and Scheduling for Cricket Australia thanks all the support staff for producing quality pitches for the BGT 2024-25 Test series.

“We are delighted by the quality of pitches produced for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series and grateful for all the hard work of the curators and venues across the country. We encourage pitches that bring out the unique characteristics of that venue and this has long been a feature of Australian cricket. We strongly believe that this is one of the reasons that Test cricket is so popular in Australia. We don’t look to prepare wickets that favour the home side or suit our situation in a series. What we seek is a good contest between bat and ball and pitches that are likely to produce a result,” said Roach.

Even our most skilled curators are challenged at times by adverse weather: Roach

Besides, Roach further pointed out the role of the weather which impacts the pitch preparation process. Notably, during the BGT series, rain played possums which led to challenging times for the pitch curators to prepare a good wicket amid adverse weather conditions hampering their process of working.

“Weather obviously plays a significant part in preparation and we know that even our most skilled curators are challenged at times by adverse weather. The SCG has been striving to bring out their unique characteristics of early pace and bounce before the pitch wears and spins. This year was a step in the right direction to achieving this which provided an exciting finish to the Border Gavaskar Trophy series and bodes well for the Ashes summer in 2025-26,” he further continued.

“The series also emphasised the benefits of playing first-class cricket at major venues. It allows our curators to become more familiar with the different challenges that go into preparing wickets in different weather conditions, and also allows players to enter the Test team familiar with the conditions they will confront,” Roach concluded.

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