ODI World Cup 2023: ICC pitch consultant Andy Atkinson leaves India after accusing of ‘pitch-swapping’

ICC pitch consultant Andy Atkinson has left India ahead of the ODI World Cup 2023 final on Wednesday. The New Zealand citizen was one of the first to accuse India of ‘pitch-swapping’ in the first semi-final.

The ‘pitch-swapping’ controversy hit the India vs New Zealand semi-final as voices of dissent grew against the host nation. Nowhere there is written that a used pitch can't be used for a knockout game. The on-ground pitch curators did exactly within the rule books by providing a used pitch. 

The Wankhede pitch was a used one and not a fresh one for the India vs New Zealand semi-final match. ICC pitch consultant Andy Atkinson was not happy with the development of the local curators using a used pitch for the Wednesday match. It was he who accused India of ‘pitch-swapping’.

Through this, Andy Atkinson started the trend of accusing the BCCI and the Indian management of preparing a pitch according to the needs of the Indian cricket team. Various voices of dissent who usually leave no stone unturned when it comes to India choose to come out of their rabbit holes and accuse India of wrongdoing.

Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar ravaged such voices and called them out for unfairly accusing India. Amidst, all the controversy Andy Atkinson has left India before the final of the ODI World Cup 2023. It is said that the assignment of the New Zealand citizen was done for the tournament and his services were no longer required.

“Andy's assignment is over and he has gone back. Don't try to find controversy where there is none. Nowhere it is written that ICC's pitch consultant need to be present before the final," a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.