The Mirpur pitch – also known as Sher-e-Bangla Stadium – in Dhaka, which hosted the second and final Test match between Bangladesh and New Zealand, has received one demerit point after the International Cricket Council rated it as unsatisfactory.
ICC match referee David Boon, in his assessment, said "the pitch may have been under prepared" and that "deliveries from spin bowlers often went over the batter's shoulder when playing forward and then occasionally stayed very low".
Experienced Black Caps bowler Tim Southee had blasted the pitch after the match.
"There's a number of ways I could describe that wicket," captain Southee said. "I think, for the match to be all over in 170 overs, is a fair reflection on the wicket. It wasn't great – there certainly wasn't an even battle between bat and ball… we'll leave it there."
When asked again about the pitch, though, Southee couldn't help himself.
"It's probably the worst wicket I've come across in my career.
"The balance between bat and ball was heavily favoured in the bowlers' hands," he added.
New Zealand won the match by four wickets to level the two-match series, thanks to Glenn Phillips' allround performance.
"It's pleasing to see on a difficult wicket. Looking back, a lot of his special innings have come on difficult wickets," Southee said.
The match overall saw just 178.1 overs of action over the course of three-and-a-half days after all of Day Two and some sizeable chunks of the first and third days got chopped off due to rain and wet outfields, making it the shortest ever Test in Mirpur.
A total of 36 wickets fell in that period.
The report has been forwarded to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), which now has 14 days to appeal against the sanction.
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