'Encourage run-scoring: ICC issues guidelines to curators ahead of ODI World Cup 2023

The ICC ODI World Cup will kick off on October 5, 2023, as the 2011 champions, India, will be hosting the prestigious tournament. This will be the biggest cricket tournament of the year, and England will be looking to defend their title. On the other hand, the hosts are looking for their first ICC title in 10 years and will look to make the most of the opportunity while playing on their home soil. 

3 things you need to know

• Australia are the most successful team in the ODI World Cup, having 5 titles
• Former Indian Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has the record for the most runs( 2278) in the tournament
• Australian legend Glenn McGrath has the record for most wickets in the tournament (71)

Also Read: Ex-cricketer makes surprise inclusion as he names his playing XI for Asia Cup match vs PAK

ICC instructs the ODI World Cup 2023 curators to prepare batting-friendly surfaces

ICC instructed the pitch curats that "Encourage run-scoring, for that’s what the spectators want!". This idea was the main focus of Andy Atkinson's presentation, which he gave on a Wednesday in Mumbai as the International Cricket Council's (ICC) pitch consultant. Atkinson was given the opportunity to speak in front of a group of curators who were there to represent the host associations for the upcoming ODI World Cup in India.

The discussion of tailoring pitches to the home team's advantage has persisted over the years. Atkinson reportedly left no room for ambiguity when he advised the local curators, who were represented by 9 out of the 12 staging associations, to resist any outside demands causing them to change the grass cover on the pitches for particular matches.

When you look at the first innings scores from the last three World Cups, you can see some interesting patterns. The 2011 World Cup, which was held in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, had the lowest average first-inning score, with 249 runs. This number went up to 274 runs at the 2015 World Cup, which was held in Australia and New Zealand. The most recent event, which was held in England, continued this trend by having an average first innings score of 276.

Also, these changes show up in the run rates as well. The run rate for the 2011 World Cup was 5.03, but the run rate for the 2015 World Cup, which was 5.65, was clearly faster. At the 2019 World Cup, this trend kept going, and the run rate went up even more, to 5.69. Such information is helpful for understanding how the game of cricket changes in different event settings.

Also Read: 'Done the right thing': Sourav Ganguly on star player's snub from India's Asia Cup squad

ICC wants the ODI World Cup 2023 to be a high-scoring tournament 

Since run rates have been going up, the ICC hopes that the ODI World Cup in 2023 will be full of interesting games with a lot of runs. This project is crucial because its more exciting variation is competing against the usual 50-over format.

Most cricket groups are working to keep the outfields green, but they should be careful not to cut them too much so that the ball doesn't move too fast. This safety measure is taken so that fielders don't stop diving and sliding, which would make the game more interesting generally.

The meeting has been told that the boundaries should be at least 70 yards long and no more than 80 yards long. Due to the unpredictable nature of the weather, it was suggested that host sites without sand-based outfields have full covers ready to go. If it rained or was windy, these covers would be important to keep the whole ground dry.

At least three ready-to-play centre-wicket pitches are one of the requirements for the ten grounds chosen to host games in the main event. Each of Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chennai, Lucknow, Dharamsala, and Pune will hold five World Cup games and Hyderabad will hold three. This way of scheduling the games gives the event a strategic edge by taking advantage of the fact that cricket is popular in different parts of the country.