Winning is all not that easy, it also does come with a lot of controversy!

With India reaching the finals of the Cricket World Cup 2023 there has been a lot of controversy around it too, with English and Australian media accusing the Indian cricket board of changing the pitch.

From a fresh strip to a used one, going against the agreement made between the ICC independent pitch consultant and the BCCI.

However, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has finally opened up on the controversy around the pitch swapping at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai for the ODI World Cup 2023.

The governing body has stated that the change was made on a ‘recommendation’ made by the venue curator and the ICC’s consultant, Andy Atkinson, was ‘apprised of the change’.

As per the ICC’s Playing Conditions for the World Cup, the ground authority is ‘responsible for the selection and preparation of the pitch’ before any game. [In this case, it was the Mumbai Cricket Association. The ICC also have an independent pitch consultant who works alongside local groundstaff.

Whereas, reported by the Daily Mail, Atkinson was ‘frustrated’ by changes to pre-agreed plans throughout the World Cup, speculating, in a leaked email, whether the pitch for the final in Ahmedabad on Sunday ‘will be the first ever ICC CWC final to have a pitch which has been specifically chosen and prepared to their stipulation at the request of the team management and/or the hierarchy of the home nation board.’