LAHORE: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has rated the Gaddafi Stadium pitch used for the third One-day International between Pakistan and Australia on June 4 as “unsatisfactory”, handing the Lahore venue one demerit point under its Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process.

The sanction was announced on Tuesday after match referee Graeme La Brooy submitted a report expressing concerns raised by the match officials and captains regarding the surface used for the series decider, which Pakistan won by four wickets to clinch the three-match series 2-1.

The ICC also rated as “unsatisfactory” the pitch used for the first Test between England and New Zealand at Lord’s in London, with the iconic venue similarly receiving one demerit point.

According to an ICC media release, La Brooy observed that the Gaddafi Stadium pitch was “slow and low” and made run-scoring difficult throughout the contest.

“The pitch was slow and low and made scoring runs very difficult. It did not suit a One Day International game as batters had to spend more time to settle in. It helped spin very early in the match and continued the same way throughout,” he said.

Australia were bowled out for 157 in the match before Pakistan reached the target after a tense chase. Batting conditions were further affected by cloudy weather and strong winds.

The reports have been forwarded to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), both of which have 14 days to appeal against the sanctions.

The PCB has successfully challenged a similar ruling in the past. In 2022, the ICC awarded a demerit point to Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium following the Test against England, but the decision was later overturned after the PCB lodged an appeal.

Meanwhile, match referee Andy Pycroft criticised the Lord’s surface for excessively favouring bowlers during the England-New Zealand Test.

“There was plenty of excessive seam movement throughout the Test and the ball also kept extremely low on several occasions. The bounce was variable throughout as 16 wickets fell on the first day and 17 on the second. There was simply an over-balance in favour of the ball against the bat caused by the pitch,” Pycroft said. Neither Gaddafi Stadium nor Lord’s had any previous demerit points before the latest sanctions.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2026