Rawalpindi pitch officially rated 'below average' after tame Test
-
Volkswagen to sell operations in China's Xinjiang
-
FA probes referee David Coote over betting claim
-
Serbia gripped by TV series about murder of prime minister
-
Putin seeks to shore up ties on visit to 'friendly' Kazakhstan
-
Plastic pollution talks must speed up, chair warns
-
Pakistan web controls quash dissent and potential
-
1,000 Pakistan protesters arrested in pro-Khan capital march
-
ICC prosecutor seeks arrest warrant for Myanmar junta chief
-
Philippine VP's bodyguards swapped out amid investigation
-
EasyJet annual profit rises 40% on package holidays
-
Ukraine sees influx of Western war tourists
-
Greeks finally get Thessaloniki metro after two-decade wait
-
New EU commission to get all clear with big push on defence and economy
-
Australia takes step to ban under 16s from social media
-
Volkswagen says to sell operations in China's Xinjiang
-
Japan prosecutor bows in apology to former death row inmate
-
Thailand to return nearly 1,000 trafficked lemurs, tortoises to Madagascar
-
Namibia votes with ruling party facing its toughest race yet
-
Indian protest wrestler given four-year ban for avoiding dope test
-
UK parliament to debate assisted dying law
-
Ireland has a cultural moment, from rock and books to cinema
-
South Korean capital hit by record November snowfall: weather agency
-
Sinn Fein hope election will propel it to power in Ireland
-
Ceasefire takes hold in Israel-Hezbollah war
-
Chinese island plastic pollution turned into artistic omens
-
Anti-mine treaty signatories slam US decision to send landmines to Ukraine
-
Vietnamese EV maker Vinfast reports $550 million Q3 loss
-
Hello Kitty owner plunges 17% on sharesale plan
-
Giannis-less Bucks edge Heat, Rockets advance in NBA Cup
-
Environmentalists slam lobbyist influence on plastic talks
-
Global security hotspots awaiting Trump in 2025
-
Eddie Jones tells Japan to keep faith after heavy defeats
-
Five forgotten conflicts of 2024
-
Adani Group says it lost nearly $55 bn as US charges sparked rout
-
Bumper election year brings headwinds for liberal democracies
-
New Zealand pace bowler Smith to make debut in first England Test
-
Protesters for jailed ex-PM Khan cleared from Pakistan capital's centre
-
'Very, very slow': plastic treaty talks grind forward
-
Australian cop guilty of manslaughter after tasering 95-year-old
-
Trump names trade envoy, top economic advisor to fill policy team
-
China expected to hit peak coal consumption in 2025: report
-
What to expect from the new EU top team's first 100 days
-
New EU commission to get all clear as daunting task awaits
-
German family winery taps into zero-alcohol trend
-
World leaders react to Lebanon war ceasefire
-
Paddington: the affable bear who became a lucrative business
-
Hand-built fantasy tower brings value to Tokyo, creator says
-
Asian markets mixed as traders eye fresh trade tensions
-
Ceasefire begins in Israel-Hezbollah war
-
Banned Ryan Garcia eyes New Year's Eve exhibition in Japan
NYSE - LSE
| RBGPF | 100% | 60.1 | $ | |
| CMSC | -0.65% | 24.57 | $ | |
| SCS | -1.33% | 13.54 | $ | |
| NGG | -0.68% | 62.83 | $ | |
| AZN | -0.06% | 66.36 | $ | |
| RIO | -1.53% | 62.03 | $ | |
| GSK | -0.38% | 34.02 | $ | |
| BTI | 1.01% | 37.71 | $ | |
| RELX | 0.51% | 46.81 | $ | |
| BCC | -2.76% | 148.41 | $ | |
| BCE | -1.46% | 26.63 | $ | |
| RYCEF | -0.29% | 6.78 | $ | |
| VOD | -0.56% | 8.86 | $ | |
| CMSD | -0.61% | 24.43 | $ | |
| JRI | -0.98% | 13.24 | $ | |
| BP | -1.24% | 28.96 | $ |
Rawalpindi pitch officially rated 'below average' after tame Test
Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium's pitch, where the first Test between Pakistan and Australia ended in a tame draw on Tuesday, has officially been rated "below average" by the match referee and given a demerit point.
In all, 1,187 runs were scored for the loss of only 14 wickets in the Test, as bowlers toiled and batters dominated on a lifeless flat track.
"The character of the pitch hardly changed over the course of five days," match referee Ranjan Madugalle said in his report.
"There has been no deterioration apart from the bounce getting slightly lower. In my view, this does not represent an even contest between bat and ball."
Madugalle added: "In keeping with the ICC guidelines I rate this pitch as below average."
Fans and commentators said the lifeless pitch spoiled Australia's first Test in Pakistan for 24 years, after the team had previously declined to visit on security grounds.
Under ICC rules, demerit points remain active for a rolling five-year period and if a venue accumulates five it is suspended from hosting international cricket for a year.
The second Test in the three-match series starts in Karachi on Saturday.
O.Gaspar--PC