MCG given a clean slate by ICC over Test pitch

The MCG has been let off the hook with the threat of a ban never existed but debate is raging over the definition of a decent Test match pitch.

English players inspect the MCG wicket before last year’s Boxing Day Test. Picture: Nicole Garmston

The hallowed turf of the MCG has made a controversial escape from death row this week, but debate is raging over the definition of a decent Test match deck.

After the MCG produced a depressingly flat pitch for last year’s Boxing Day Ashes Test, the International Cricket Council originally came down like a ton of bricks and declared they’d take the showpiece away from Melbourne if there was a repeat against India this summer.

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But for all their huffing and puffing, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal the ICC has in fact let the MCG off the hook, and the threat of a ban has been non-existent all along.

Rather than being on their final warning as has been widely reported, the MCG has been given a clean slate and the pressure valve removed from curators desperately trying to bring life back to the game’s coliseum.

The soft landing serves as another confusing blow for the game’s attempts to reinvigorate Test cricket following outrage from former greats Michael Vaughan and Mitchell Johnson that the ICC has officially rated the unpredictable Perth surface from last week’s second Test against India as “average”.

Commentators and players loved the ever-changing qualities of the new Perth deck, which still produced a five-day match, but ICC match officials have bizarrely still branded the surface with the lowest ­possible pass mark.

The MCG pitch has come under fire from players. Picture: AFP

“And they wonder why Test match cricket is struggling,” tweeted Vaughan, who ­commentated the match for Fox Cricket.

“Was a tremendously exciting pitch which had a bit for everyone … should be more like this IMO (in my opinion).”

Former Australian quick Johnson, who was ultimately forced into retirement due to his frustration at the toll flat pitches were taking on his body, said he was at a complete loss as to what the game’s ­administrators regard as a good wicket.

“Nothing wrong with it. It was exciting to watch a contest between bat and ball for a change and not these dull flat tracks being served up constantly,” tweeted Johnson.

“I’d actually be interested in knowing what a good pitch is? Hope for another exciting Test at the MCG.”

Mitchell Starc enjoyed bowling on the Perth pitch in the second Test against India. Picture: AAP

Test spearhead Mitchell Starc described the Perth pitch as “fantastic” and said that all administrators should be worried about is producing pitches that promote an even contest between bat and ball.

“It was a fantastic result and obviously the pitch played a fair role in that with the cracking and the pace and bounce out of the wicket, the uneven, the unknown,” Starc told The Sunday Telegraph.

“I think the Adelaide wicket has been the benchmark for drop-in wickets around the country and it’s probably been the most even contest in Test cricket in Australia for a ­number of years.”

Players were secretly cheering when the MCG was put on notice by the ICC after last year’s Ashes bore-fest which Ricky Ponting has joked would still be going today if Tests weren’t declared a draw after five days.

However, the ICC changed its pitch policy after the original findings condemning the MCG pitch, meaning under the new guidelines, Melbourne is back to zero ratings points.

Originally published as MCG given a clean slate by ICC over Test pitch