ICC rescinds demerit point imposed on Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium after PCB appeal

ICC rescinds demerit point imposed on Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium after PCB appeal.

Key points

• "Following the rulings, the Maple Leaf Cricket Ground holds three demerit points on its record, while Gaddafi Stadium carries zero demerit points, " the council continued.
• "The ICC Appeals Panel arrived at the determinations after reviewing match footage, match referees' reports and official comments from the respective team captains, " the statement remarked.
• It considered the pitch's condition "dangerous and thus consistent with that of an Unfit pitch", the ICC statement quoted it as saying.
• It pakistan won by four wickets to clinch the three-match series 2-1.

ICC rescinds demerit point imposed on Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium after PCB appeal. News Desk Published August 20, 2026 Updated August 20, 2026 05: 35pm. Add Dawn as a trusted source.

After decisions on three pitch-rating appeals submitted by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Cricket Canada (CC), the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday rescinded a demerit point imposed on Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium and another on a cricket stadium in Toronto.

Nevertheless, it maintained the decision to impose three demerit points and an "Unfit" rating on the Maple Leaf Cricket Ground in Toronto's King City after a match played in June, according to a statement by the ICC.

According to the statement, a demerit point that was imposed on Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium – after an "Unsatisfactory" rating for the third Men's ODI between Pakistan and Australia on June 4 – has been rescinded, with the panel noting that "the pitch did not demonstrate excessive unevenness or spin".

Notably, the sanction was confirmed in June after match referee Graeme Labrooy submitted a report citing worries raised by match authorities and captains over the surface employed for the series decider. It pakistan won by four wickets to clinch the three-match series 2-1.

Notably, the PCB has successfully challenged a similar ruling previously. In 2022, the ICC awarded a demerit point to Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium after the Test against England, but the decision was afterwards overturned after the PCB lodged an appeal.

In practice, the appeals panel additionally rescinded a demerit point imposed on the Maple Leaf Cricket Ground for the ICC Men's World Cup League 2 match between the United States and the Netherlands on June 8. According to the ICC, the stadium had been issued an "Unsatisfactory" rating for the match; nevertheless, the demerit point was withdrawn as the panel felt the condition of the surface "was consistent with that of a satisfactory pitch" and "did not demonstrate excessive unevenness, seam movement or spin".

In practice, the stadium had additionally been issued an "Unfit" rating and three demerit points for another match of the same series between the Netherlands and Canada on June 16. It the panel has decided to maintain.

Taken together, the developments around ICC rescinds demerit point imposed on Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium after PCB appeal point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.