🏏 ICC Slams MCG Pitch as Unsatisfactory in Ashes 2025

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Key Takeaways

1📊 36 wickets in 2 days: No half-century in MCG Ashes meltdown
2🏆 MCG's first demerit after 'very good' run; 5 points = ban
3💡 Excessive seam from 10mm grass biased bowlers heavily
4🔮 Curators under fire for 2026-27 India Tests prep
5💬 'Does not allow even contest' – Jeff Crowe verdict

"The ICC has a four-tier pitch-rating system, with "unsatisfactory" in third place; the rating also means that the MCG will be handed a demerit point"

ICC match referee Jeff Crowe has rated the MCG Boxing Day Ashes pitch 'unsatisfactory', awarding the venue a demerit point after Australia vs England wrapped in two days. 36 wickets fell amid bowler dominance—no half-centuries, exposing a surface riddled with seam and bounce issues, a stark fall from the MCG's 'very good' streak.

Contextually, this bucks the MCG's Boxing Day tradition of batsman-friendly tracks hosting epics like 2017's Stokes heroics. Australia skittled for 152 and 132, England for 110; Josh Tongue's 5/45 epitomized the chaos. Under ICC's 2023 revamp (very good/satisfactory/unsatisfactory/unfit), this third-tier call flags excessive bowler aid, contrasting prior balanced ratings.

Dissecting the Pitch Verdict

Crowe's assessment hinged on 20 wickets day one, 16 day two, with 10mm grass fueling non-deteriorating hostility—erratic bounce, seam galore. Stats scream imbalance: average innings 131 runs, vs typical MCG 350+. Echoes 1990s seamer havens but violates modern equity, where 'poor' pitches once got harsher; now, one point starts the clock.

Demerit Drama and Venue Stakes

One point in a 5-year window risks suspension at five; MCG joins scrutinized grounds, pressuring curators post-captain pleas for balance. Ashes narrative shifts, with bowlers like Tongue thriving unfairly, impacting series integrity and fan faith in marquee events.

"Players need to take a bit of responsibility for two-day finish... The pitch does not allow an even contest between bat and ball." – Jeff Crowe via ESPNcricinfo

Rebuilding Trust at the 'G'

Next Boxing Day looms: expect curator tweaks for India series. Will MCG innovate for fairness? Fans, track reforms—this defines Test cricket's heartbeat amid T20 shifts.