"Don't know where the talk of the pitch not being fresh came from" - Salman Butt on wicket swap controversy

Former Pakistan skipper Salman Butt has shared his views on the pitch used for the first semi-final between India and New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday. He claimed that it was a wonderful wicket to bat on.

Controversies emerged on the day of the match after a report in The Daily Mail claimed that the match was shifted to pitch No. 6 without informing Andy Atkinson, the ICC’s independent pitch consultant, The semi-final fixture was originally scheduled to be played on pitch No. 7.

ICC later clarified that it is a common practice towards the end of a tournament.

Speaking in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Salman Butt labeled the wicket as a batting paradise.

"It was a wonderful pitch. I don't know where the talk of the pitch not being fresh came from. It was a batting paradise, and every batter had a good time," he said.

The BCCI has been accused of tampering with wickets and fixing tosses throughout the tournament by former Pakistan cricketers. This time, the accusation came from the Australian media.

Butt reckoned that he wasn't aware of where these accusations came from but maintained his stance that it was a good wicket.

"I didn't know that it was the Australian media that started this controversy," Salman Butt continued. "The ICC spokesperson also gave a clarification. However, the important thing is that there was good cricket."

The match witnessed over 700 runs being scored, with three batters scoring hundreds. India eventually triumphed over New Zealand, beating them by 70 runs and reaching the final.

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"New Zealand were very good against Indian bowling" - Salman Butt lauds Kiwi batters

Salman Butt was effusive while praising the Blackcaps batters. Daryl Mitchell and Kane Williamson managed to put the Indian bowlers under pressure before the hosts turned things around courtesy of Mohammed Shami's excellent display with the ball.

Butt mentioned that scoring over 300 runs against the current Indian bowling attack is no mean feat, but asserted that the better team won in the end.

"New Zealand were very good against Indian bowling," Butt continued. "The Indian bowlers haven't allowed anyone to score big. Every team has struggled against Indian bowling. For New Zealand to score over 300 runs and look like a team that could put up a good show is commendable. But in the end, the better team won."

India will meet the winner of the second semi-final between South Africa and Australia in the final in Ahmedabad on Sunday.