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Michael Vaughan Comes Hard At BCCI For The Ahmedabad Pitch
By CricShots - Feb 27, 2021 12:23 pm
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Former English skipper, Michael Vaughan on Friday said the more India is allowed to “get away” with producing pitches that are not deemed good enough to last 5 days of Test cricket, the more “toothless” the ICC will look. England on Thursday suffered an embarrassing loss by 10 wickets in the third Test against India on a spin-friendly Motera track to go down 1-2 in the four-match series. The game ended in just a couple of days with the pitch drawing flak from former players like Vaughan.

team india
India openers completed a 10-wicket win in Ahmedabad Test

However, the legendary Indian cricketer, Sunil Gavaskar credited the Indian spinners rather than blaming the surface. In his column for the Daily Telegraph, Vaughan wrote: “The longer powerful countries like India are allowed to get away with it the more toothless the ICC will look. The governing body is allowing India to produce whatever they wish and it is Test cricket that is getting hurt.”

Vaughan, who led England from 2003 to 2008, felt broadcasters asking for refunds if a match finishes early may help change things.

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Former skipper suggested, “Perhaps it will take broadcasters to ask for refunds for things to change. They accept Test finishing early because the players are not good enough but not when home boards produce such poor pitches. They are left with three blank days but are still having to pay for production. They will not be happy and might think twice about good money for Test rights.”

Michael Vaughan
Michael Vaughan

Michael Vaughan called India’s win a “shallow victory” but acknowledged that the hosts are more skills to handle such batting conditions. “India won the third Test but it was a shallow victory. In fact, there were no winners from that game at all. Yet, India showed its skill. We are not being fair if we do not accept that their skill levels in those conditions are far better than England’s. But the good of the game needs to be looked at and as ex-players, it is our duty to call it out.”

Vaughan was of the opinion that the last two Tests have let the players down.

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Michael Vaughan explained, “How can anyone say that 250 is a par first-innings score in a Test match and claim the pitch is good enough. If you have a World Test Championship you need to deduct points for producing surfaces that are not deemed good enough for Test cricket. But it is also a real concern for the game that we have seen India respond to going 1-0 down by producing pitches which turn prodigiously from ball one.”