"VAN" (Sports Desk - 19.06.2026) :: The pitch used for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 match between Canada and the Netherlands at the Maple Leaf Cricket Club in King City, Toronto, on Tuesday has been rated as “Unfit” and the venue has received three demerit points under the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process. The venue now has four demerit points, having got an ‘unsatisfactory’ rating last week for the match between the United States of America and the Netherlands. Match Referee Phil Thompson submitted his report expressing concerns of the match officials and both captains. Thompson said: “It was clear from the first over that the pitch was going to be a major issue. There were several occasions when the batters got hit due to the variable bounce. It is not the kind of pitch international matches should be played on. “I was in full support of the umpires and both captains and coaches, all of whom felt the pitch was dangerous and someone could have got seriously hurt if the match continued. The match was duly stopped, and the pitch deserves an ‘unfit’ rating. The report has been forwarded to Cricket Canada, and they have 14 days to appeal against the sanction.
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