IND vs NZ CWC 2023 semi-final pitch switched from fresh to used one - Reports

Semi-final 1 of ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 IND vs NZ will take place at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

The first semi-final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 between India and New Zealand is all set to begin in just a few hours. The game will be played at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai and will start at 2:00 p.m. This is the first knockout game of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, and this will decide which team will qualify for the final. India dominated the group stage and won all nine matches, while New Zealand won five.

Everyone is waiting for the upcoming high-voltage clash, but something else has caught the attention of the world before the semi-final. There is news circulating that the BCCI has made changes to the pitch and changed it from the pitch that was supposed to be used for the match.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2023: BCCI switched pitch ahead of the IND vs NZ Semi-final – Reports

The attention has been diverted to the pitch, as it has been learned that the BCCI has switched the new pitch to the used pitch. According to ESPN Cricinfo, “Indian board have switched the pitch for their team’s semi-final on Wednesday against New Zealand in Mumbai without the ICC’s permission.”

Notably, the venues and pitches are prepared under the supervision of the global cricketing body’s consultant, who agrees with the host as to which pitch will be used for every match. Andy Atkinson was given this responsibility for the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 in India. But according to reports, the track has been changed at the venue ahead of the game. The pitch No. 7 was supposed to be used for the game, which was not used before, but it has now changed to pitch No. 6.

Atkinson has been informed that there were some issues with pitch No. 7. Notably, the report further claimed that the IND vs PAK match, which was played on October 14 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, was played on pitch 7, but it was supposed to take place on pitch 5. And now there are speculations that the pitch conditions for the final of the tournament to be played on November 19 in Ahmedabad will also favor spin. The report from Indian Express stated that the Indian management informed the pitch curator about their preference to prepare a rather slow track.

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