Pitch tweak? Accusation emerges of India switching pitches ahead of semifinal

Ahead of the much-anticipated knockout game, reports in the British and Australian media have accused the Indian team of changing pitches for the New Zealand semifinal.

Their developments state that the team management have changed the pitch without the consultation of the ICC and that the first semifinal will now be played on a used surface – Pitch 6 – than the originally scheduled fresh one – Pitch 7, on which two matches have already been played.

The news also claims that this 'micromanagement' of neutral World Cup pitches will continue in Ahmedabad should India reach the final.

The Daily Mail carried an e-mail from Andy Atkinson, ICC's independent pitch consultant, which reads, "As a result of these actions, one must speculate if this will be the first ever ICC CWC [World Cup] final to have a pitch which has been specifically chosen and prepared to their stipulation at the request of the team management and/or the hierarchy of the home nation board."

"Or will it be selected or prepared without favouritism for either of the sides competing in the match in the usual manner, and unquestionably because it is the usual pitch for the occasion?"

As per the ICC's World Cup Playing Conditions, the 'ground authority,' in this instance the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), is tasked with the selection and preparation of the pitch for each match with Atkinson working in collaboration.

According to the NZ Herald,  concerns have arisen that the pitch to be used for the final in Ahmedabad may also be changed. Atkinson is understood to have flown to Ahmedabad last week, prompted by frustration over a lack of answers around preparation for the final.

It has further been revealed while that the opening match of the World Cup between the Black Caps and England was played on the agreed surface, none of the next three matches followed the schedule - with Atkinson claiming an email that changes had been made "without proper notice or forewarning".

"The ICC independent pitch consultant works with the host and venues on their proposed pitch allocations and this process is ongoing throughout an event of this length and nature," a BCCI's spokesperson said.

Notably, there is no ICC mandate specifying that knockout fixtures must be played on fresh pitches. The Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process emphasises the expectation that venues assigned to host matches should present optimal pitch and outfield conditions for each game.