ODI World Cup 2023: ICC asks curators to prepare balanced pitches, negate home advantage

In a bid to ensure fairness and competitiveness, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has advised venue curators to minimize the home advantage factor for the upcoming 2023 ODI World Cup to be held in India. The move comes amid concerns that home teams often have an upper hand due to pitch conditions that favor them.

Andy Atkinson, the head curator of the ICC, conveyed this directive to the curators responsible for preparing pitches across the 10 designated venues. These venues, along with two additional ones for warm-up matches, will host the tournament matches.

The trend of the home team winning the ODI World Cup in recent editions has raised eyebrows, with India in 2011, Australia in 2015, and England in 2019 all clinching titles as hosts. The ICC's concern about this home advantage prompted Atkinson to emphasize preparing pitches that would result in competitive matches.

According to an insider from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), who attended the meeting, Atkinson emphasized that curators should not succumb to pressure from the home teams and should focus on pitches that provide an even contest.

"The focus should be on preparing a wicket that’s as sporting as possible and not something that favours the home side," Atkinson was quoted as saying by the Telegraph. "The wickets will vary as the nature of the soil isn't the same everywhere. But he wants such tracks that promise games going the distance."

India's recent pitch quality has faced scrutiny, especially in the red-ball format during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023. The upcoming World Cup aims to rectify these concerns.

The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will witness the tournament opener between England and New Zealand on October 5, while the much-awaited clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan also set to be  held there on October 14. India's campaign will commence on October 8 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, where they will face Australia in what promises to be an electrifying encounter.

Also see: How to book tickets for 2023 ODI World Cup online?