"Does not represent an even contest between bat and ball" - ICC rates pitch used for Pakistan vs Australia 1st Test as below average 

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has rated the pitch at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, which was used for the Test series opener between Australia and Pakistan as below average. In addition, the venue has received one demerit point under the council's Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process.

In an official ICC release, match referee Ranjan Madugalle underlined that there were hardly any changes on the surface across the five days. He pointed out that the strip did not provide assistance to the pacers as well as the spinners.

Madhugalle stated that an even contest between bat and ball was not possible due to the nature of the wicket. The ICC website quoted him as saying:

"The character of the pitch hardly changed over the course of five days and that there has been no deterioration apart from the bounce getting slightly lower.

"The pitch did not have a great deal of pace and bounce in it for the seamers nor assisted the spinners as the match progressed. In my view this does not represent an even contest between bat and ball. Therefore, in keeping with the ICC guidelines I rate this pitch as below average.”

It is worth mentioning that if a stadium gets five demerit points in five years then it will be suspended from hosting international cricket for a period of 12 months.

The surface used for the first Test between Pakistan and Australia has attracted criticism from all quarters after the highly-anticipated clash ended in a tame draw. The venue would have received three demerit points if the ICC had rated the surface "poor".

"We couldn't afford to go into experimental mode" - Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ramiz Raja

In a video uploaded by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on social media, Ramiz Raja revealed that the pitch was created keeping in mind that Pakistan were missing several of their key players for the contest.

He added that they could not afford to create a bouncy track and hand Australia the advantage in such a case. However, he hoped for more exciting cricket in the remaining two fixtures of the three-match series.

Ramiz Raja said:

"While I do the understand the disappointment of fans, we need to keep in mind that it's a three-match series. There is a lot of cricket still to be played and just for the heck of it, we cannot go and sit in Australia's lap by preparing a fast bouncy pitch.

"It's important to play to our strength. We were handicapped by the lack of resources because our opening ball pair got disturbed following injuries to Hasan Ali and Faheem Ashraf. Plus we had a brand new opening pair and Abdullah Shafique's form was worrisome. Imam-ul-Haq was making a comeback.

"So, when your batting and bowling pair is disturbed and raw, you take your chances accordingly. Plus we did not have a ready-made leg-spinner as Yasir Shah is unfit. We had an under-cooked 15 and Australia, don't forget, are a powerhouse and are coming off an Ashes win. We respect their talent and given our strength, we couldn't afford to go into experimental mode."

The Rawalpindi wicket is considered one of the liveliest wickets in Pakistan. While many expected the fixture to be a high-octane one, the game ended in a high-scoring draw and the wicket was termed 'dead' by many because of the same.