Former England captain Michael Vaughan has expressed his frustration following the abandonment of the fourth game of the 2023-24 Big Bash League (BBL) due to an unsafe wet pitch.
The incident happened during the Melbourne Renegades’ opening home game of the season against the Perth Scorchers at GMHBA Stadium. The match officials deemed the pitch dangerous for batters after only 6.5 overs of the first innings.
Severe rain fell in Geelong leading up to the game, causing water leakage through the covers and onto the pitch, which created drastically uneven bounce.
Speaking to the Fox Cricket broadcast, Vaughan felt cricket needed to be more proactive and prevent such happenings.
Vaughan cited other examples from the past of similar occurrences and continued his criticism.
Fully aware of the damp conditions, the Renegades skipper Nic Maddinson asked the Scorchers to bat first.
The defending champions crawled to 30/2 in the 6.5 overs possible, with several balls bouncing alarmingly before the call-off.
Former Australian wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist has said that the pitch conditions looked suspicious even before the start of the contest.
It was the second consecutive game of the BBL abandoned after incessant rain washed out the entire Adelaide Strikers-Brisbane Heat contest the day before.
Cricket Australia (CA) also released a statement following the abandoned game. It stated that the ground staff worked all day to rectify the situation, and the umpires considered the pitch safe for play to start. The statement also confirmed that a thorough review of the circumstances will happen, and fans will have their tickets refunded.
More Stories
Breakthrough in Renewable Energy: Game-Changing Technology Unveiled
UFC 300 to Feature His Participation in Major Announcement
Manchester United stars blamed for Rasmus Hojlund’s poor form – Chris Sutton