Hafeez’s assertion went viral quickly after he raised the issue with photographs of the Chennai pitch, however he was corrected by former India opener Aakash Chopra.
Veteran Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez, who has criticised the pitches for the upcoming 2023 World Cup, has asked a very contentious question on social media, questioning whether the competition is organised by the ICC or the BCCI. Hafeez’s assertion quickly went viral after he highlighted the issue with photographs of the Chennai field, which held its second World Cup game on Friday but was schooled by former India star Aakash Chopra.
On Thursday, Hafeez told PTV Sports that the conditions of the Chepauk pitch for the World Cup match between New Zealand and Bangladesh will determine whether the tournament was properly organised by the ICC or if the BCCI had a strong impact. Later that day, right after the pitch report for the Chennai track was completed, Hafeez shared screenshots of the tracks laid down for the New Zealand-Bangladesh game and the India-Australia game last week, predicting that questions about the quality of pitches used for World Cup matches would be raised.
“First and foremost, whether the tournament will be organised by the ICC or the BCCI will be decided tomorrow.” So far, two matches have been played in three different cities: Hyderabad, Delhi, and Dharamsala. The pitch conditions were comparable in both games, and it performed accordingly. It’s acceptable if the pitch in Chennai is the same as it was for India vs. Australia. But if there are minor modifications, you can tell who is organising the competition,” Hafeez explained.
“There should be no influence because this is an ICC tournament.” It must operate in accordance with the curators’ and administrators’ directions. It’s acceptable if tomorrow’s pitch’s importance and momentum are similar. “However, if there is a slight change, such as a batting track or different conditions, this is a big question mark,” Hafeez remarked.
The seasoned cricketers later shared his video on Apple X with the caption: “Two different characteristic pitches at the same venue #Chennai.” “Waal tou banta hai?”
In response to the strong assertions and inquiries, Aakash explained why pitches at the same venue behave differently and emphasised that the phenomena will occur at every stadium throughout the World Cup.
“Brother, the square in Chennai (and many other stadiums in India) now have pitches made with different soil.” Red-black and blended. Pitches created with varied soil components will play differently, as you are aware. “As a result, don’t be surprised if the pitches behave radically differently at the same venue throughout the World Cup,” he warned.
According to the ICC schedule, India is the only team that does not play more than one match at the same location. They’ve already played in Chennai and Delhi, and their next game is against Pakistan on Saturday in Ahmedabad.
