The International Cricket Council has rated the Melbourne Cricket Ground pitch “unsatisfactory” following the fourth Ashes Test, which ended inside two days, raising concerns over the balance between bat and ball.
Under the ICC’s four-tier pitch assessment system, “unsatisfactory” is the second-lowest rating. It applies to surfaces that offer excessive assistance to bowlers. The decision ended the MCG’s run of “very good” ratings in the previous three Boxing Day Tests and resulted in a one-point demerit for the venue.
Match referee Jeff Crowe said the surface tilted too heavily in favour of seam bowlers. He noted that 20 wickets fell on the opening day and another 16 on day two, with no batter reaching a half-century across the four innings. The England cricket team beat **Australia cricket team in the ICC.
MCG curator Matt Page prepared the wicket with around 10 millimetres of grass. The extra cover generated seam movement and bounce but made batting difficult from the outset.
The early finish left Cricket Australia facing an estimated revenue shortfall of about A$10 million, with refunds required for tickets sold for days three and four.
Cricket Australia’s chief of cricket, James Allsopp, said the organisation was disappointed for fans. He added that the pitch failed to deliver the MCG’s usual balance between bat and ball, despite praising the ground staff’s work over recent years.
Before the ICC decision, Australia head coach Andrew McDonald defended Page and cautioned against external interference in pitch preparation. He said the curator had produced high-quality surfaces over a long period and argued that batters were also responsible for the low scores.
Read: England End 15-Year Wait with Dramatic Ashes Test Win at MCG
McDonald said poor Test matches can happen and stressed that Australia supports the traditional independence of curators. He warned against a move toward tailor-made surfaces designed to engineer specific outcomes.
Cricket Australia plans to conduct its own end-of-season review of Test pitch management. Chief executive Todd Greenberg has suggested shorter Tests are commercially damaging and may warrant closer oversight. McDonald, however, said he opposed any shift toward intervention. Australia still lead the Ashes series 3–1, with the fifth and final Test set to begin in Sydney on Sunday.
