(Cricket News) The Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka, the site of the second Test match between Bangladesh and New Zealand, has been rated as “unsatisfactory” by the ICC, earning the venue one demerit point. This is an interesting choice of rating; in the past, the ICC has used “very good,” “good,” “average,” “below average,” “poor,” and “unfit” to describe pitches.
The Shere Bangla National Stadium last received a demerit point for a Bangladesh-Sri Lanka Test in early 2018, but in 2021 alone, the venue received seven “average” ratings in ODIs and T20Is. New Zealand defeated Bangladesh by four wickets in one of the shortest Tests (in terms of overs) in recent memory.
It was the third-shortest Test match in which 35 or more wickets have fallen this century. Spinners took 30 of the 35 wickets that fell to bowlers in the match, which only continued into the fourth day due to rain and poor light on the second and third days.
The outfield was excellent and held up extremely well to the rain, but it appeared that the pitch may have been underprepared as it was not hard and was covered in grass clippings on day one. From the first session onwards, throughout the remainder of the match, the bounce was inconsistent with numerous balls bursting the surface.
Deliveries from spin bowlers often went over the batter’s shoulder when playing forward and then occasionally stayed very low. These concerns were expressed in the report that match referee David Boon submitted to the ICC after conferring with the captains of both teams.
Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto defended the surface after the game, but New Zealand skipper Tim Southee called it “probably the worst wicket” he had ever played on.
