Remember Vince Coleman claiming Shea Stadium’s bumpy infield would hurt his Hall Of Fame chances? Hello? OK, if that rings a bell, how do you think Vince might’ve reacted to this weekend’s one day international between Sri Lanka and hosts India being abandoned on account of poor field conditions? Please do not say “explosively” The Times Of India attempts to explain just what occured at the Feroz Shah Kotla.
The fifth and final One-Day International between Sri Lanka and India in New Delhi was called off after 23.3 overs on Sunday due to a dangerous pitch upon which the tourists had toiled to reach 83 for five before play was halted.
Match referee Alan Hurst had classified the pitch “unfit”, a newspaper reported, quoting from the official’s report to the International Cricket Council.
The classification was the worst of six possible categories, the newspaper said, and attracts a suspension of the status to host international matches for a period between 12-24 months.
“The pitch did not meet the requirements for an ODI match,” the paper quoted Hurst’s report as saying.
“This meant the players were unsure of what the ball would do. However, of more concern was the dangerous bounce that occurred randomly and accounted for batsmen being struck on a number of occasions.
“The pitch did not allow players to play with any confidence and was totally unsuitable for international cricket.”
Sports Minister Manohar Singh Gill said the fiasco was shameful for the country.
“It is very unfortunate and a great embarrassment for the country. It should not have happened,”