Former Australian captain Tim Paine has expressed strong disapproval of the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) pitch used during the fifth Test of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy between Australia and India. Despite the International Cricket Council (ICC) rating the pitch as ‘satisfactory,’ Paine contends that it was subpar and should have received the lowest possible rating.
The Test match concluded in just two and a half days, with both teams failing to surpass the 200-run mark in any innings—a rare occurrence in modern cricket. Australia won the match by six wickets, securing a 3-1 series victory. The pitch exhibited exaggerated seam movement and inconsistent bounce, leading to a high number of wickets and a rapid conclusion to the game.
Paine criticized the pitch for favoring luck over skill, stating, “It meant batting relied more on luck than skill, and although the ICC gave it a ‘satisfactory’ rating, I would have given it the lowest possible rating and effectively placed the SCG on notice: dish up something like that again and you will be suspended from hosting international cricket.”
He further referenced a previous instance where the SCG pitch was deemed inadequate, highlighting a Sheffield Shield match between Tasmania and New South Wales in the previous season. Paine remarked, “It may seem extreme, but this isn’t a new phenomenon in Sydney. The Sheffield Shield pitch dished up when Tasmania played at the SCG last season was disgraceful. It is time to shape up or face the consequences.”
Former Australian captain Michael Clarke also criticized the SCG pitch, describing it as the worst he had ever seen. He noted, “The SCG is my favourite ground in the world, it is my home ground, and I hate saying this out loud, but that’s the worst pitch I’ve ever seen in Sydney.”
The ICC’s ‘satisfactory’ rating for the SCG pitch has sparked debate among former players and commentators. While some argue that the pitch provided a result-oriented game, others, like Paine and Clarke, believe it compromised the quality of batting and the overall spectacle of the match.