ICC Rates MCG Boxing Day Test Pitch Unsatisfactory

The ICC has ruled that the pitch used for the Boxing Day Ashes Test between Australia and England did not meet the required standard. Match referee Jeff Crowe handed the surface an unsatisfactory rating, which automatically results in the Melbourne Cricket Ground receiving one demerit point.

Under the ICC pitch-assessment framework, unsatisfactory is the third tier in the four-level grading scale and is used when conditions heavily tilt the contest. The guidelines describe such pitches as surfaces that do not provide a fair balance between bat and ball and allow bowlers frequent wicket-taking chances. The judgment is particularly striking given that the MCG had earned a very good rating in each of the previous three Boxing Day Tests.

Crowe explained the logic behind the assessment.

"The MCG pitch was too much in favour of the bowlers," Crowe said. "With 20 wickets falling on the first day, 16 on the second day, and no batter even reaching a half-century, the pitch was 'unsatisfactory' as per the guidelines, and the venue gets one demerit point."

A Two-Day Finish Draws Scrutiny

The opening match in Perth also ended quickly, although that surface was rated very good. Australia won the first three Tests before suffering defeat in Melbourne, meaning the series narrative flipped as the pitch became the major discussion point.

Cricket Australia acknowledged the disappointment felt by fans who missed out on days three and four and those following worldwide.

"We were disappointed for the fans holding tickets for days three and four, and also the millions of fans excited to watch the action in Australia and around the world, that the pitch did not provide the MCG's customary balance between bat and ball," James Allsopp, Cricket Australia (CA) chief of cricket, said in a statement.

CA also expressed confidence in the ground staff and their ability to respond positively.

"We appreciate the outstanding work the MCC staff have done over recent years, producing excellent Test match pitches. We're confident they will deliver first-rate surfaces for next year's Boxing Day Test against New Zealand and the hugely anticipated 150th Anniversary Test against England in March 2027."

Curator Reaction And Preparation Debate

MCG curator Matt Page admitted he was stunned by how the game unfolded. He watched 20 wickets fall on the first day, followed by 16 more on day two, with the match spanning only 142 overs. 

The two-day finish is expected to cost CA up to AUD 10 million, adding to the financial setback from the first Test.

Having two Tests conclude so rapidly in one series, the first occurrence in 129 years, prompted CA chief executive Todd Greenberg to raise the prospect of the governing body exerting greater influence on pitch preparation. 

Australia head coach Andrew McDonald, however, hopes that autonomy continues. He backed Page, who moved to Melbourne from the WACA and took over after the MCG once received a poor rating under a previous system.

"I don't want to get to a situation ... where we are asking for specific surfaces and tailor-made," McDonald said on Monday. "I don't think Australia will ever go there, and I don't think they've ever been there, to my knowledge.

"Sometimes these things can happen, but we support him in what he's done and are really proud of the evolution of the MCG. We don't want to scare him off and get back to where we were. He's found a nice balance for a long period of time. We believe we're a better batting group than that, but what we did there says otherwise."