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Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif made startling revelations around the ODI World Cup Final, which took place in India last year. Speaking exclusively on Lallantop, Kaif revealed that the pitch for ODI World Cup final, which was played between India and Australia, was made by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) curators to favour the Indian side.
The 43-year-old argued that the Indian team messed up their own plans and were thus beaten by the top side, Australia at their home ground in India. It is to be noted that Kaif’s bold statement comes after ICC pitch consultant Andy Atinkson’s exit from the ODI World Cup just ahead of the final due to alleged differences with BCCI.
“I was there for three days. Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid came in the evening to inspect the pitch. This practice was done for three days straight, and I saw the pitch changing colour. There was no watering the pitch, no grass on the track. India wanted to give Australia a slow track. This is the truth, even of people don’t want to believe it,” Mohammad Kaif said in an interview with Lallantop.
“The feeling was that Australia had Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc, so India wanted to give a slow pitch, that was our mistake. Many people say that curators do their own thing and we don’t influence - that is rubbish. When you are moving around the pitch - you have to say just two lines - please don’t put water, just reduce the grass. This happens. That is truth,” Kaif further added.
Watch Mohammad Kaif's shocking revelation here:
To conclude his say, the 43-year-old further said, “Cummins took learning from Chennai that batting is tough at the start in a slow match. Nobody fields first in a final, but Cummins did. We messed up while doctoring the pitch.”
It is to be noted that India were in red-hot form at the ODI World Cup 2023 and entered the final on the back of 11-match winning streak. But in the summit clash, the Rohit Sharma-led side suffered a heartbreaking six-wicket loss on a sluggish pitch at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmadabad.
