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KEY TAKEAWAYS: - The ICC reversed its "Unsatisfactory" rating for Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium after a successful PCB appeal. - The demerit point stemmed from a slow, low pitch during the third Pakistan-Australia ODI on June 4. - Gaddafi Stadium now has zero demerit points, restoring its clean standing under ICC's pitch-monitoring system. ICC rescinds demerit point imposed on Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium following successful PCB appeal over PAK vs AUS ODI Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium has been let off the hook by the ICC, with the sport's governing body reversing an earlier penalty following a successful appeal from the Pakistan Cricket Board. The demerit point handed to the venue after its pitch was rated "Unsatisfactory" has now been wiped clean from the record. The trouble stemmed from the third ODI between Pakistan and Australia, played on June 4, 2026. Match referee Graeme La Brooy flagged concerns at the time that the surface was playing too slow and too low for the format, which led to the venue receiving an "Unsatisfactory" rating and a demerit point under the ICC's pitch-monitoring rules. How did the ICC's Appeals Panel reach its decision? The PCB pushed back against that original assessment, triggering a formal review. In examining the appeal, the ICC panel went through match footage, La Brooy's original report, and feedback from both teams' captains before reaching its conclusion. The panel found that the pitch "did not demonstrate excessive unevenness or spin". An ICC statement confirmed the outcome, which read: "The demerit point imposed on Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium, following an 'Unsatisfactory' rating for the third Men's ODI between Pakistan and Australia on 4 June, has been rescinded. The panel noted that while the guidelines of the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process were followed by the Match Referee, 'the pitch did not demonstrate excessive unevenness or spin'." MORE: ‘Put it on my bathroom door’: Tongue, Robinson’s five-wicket ball solution With the point removed, Gaddafi Stadium now sits at zero demerit points on its active record. That matters a great deal under the ICC's monitoring system, where venues accumulating too many demerit points can face increased scrutiny, and in more serious cases, restrictions on hosting future international fixtures. By having the points wiped, the stadium avoids any risk of edging closer to those kinds of consequences and keeps a clean slate going forward. MORE: 'Wanted flatter pitches': Babar Azam partly blamed for Pakistan's fast bowling decline (getty) A fair outcome, but one that raises questions about initial assessments This reversal is a reasonable result on the surface; if the panel's detailed review found no excessive unevenness or spin, then overturning the original call is the right call. Match referees operate under real-time pressure and limited information, so appeals processes exist precisely for situations like this. That said, it's worth asking why the original assessment differed so significantly from what a full review later found. If a slow, low pitch initially seemed clear-cut enough to warrant an "Unsatisfactory" rating, yet a closer look concluded otherwise, that gap suggests either the original process needs tightening or match referees need clearer guidance on how "slow and low" should be weighed against genuine unevenness or turn. Either way, the PCB deserves credit for pursuing the appeal rather than accepting a rating they clearly believed was unfair, and Gaddafi Stadium's clean record is restored as a result. But the ICC might want to look at why its own assessment and appeal outcome landed so far apart in the first place. For all the latest cricket news, opinion, and commentary and to share your voice, head to our Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter) pages.