It was a pretty genuine risk: Handscomb on MCG pitch

Australian cricketers Shaun Marsh and Peter Handscomb have agreed that there was a genuine risk of a player getting seriously injured on the MCG pitch.

The Marsh Sheffield Shield match between Victoria and Western Australia was suspended on Sunday.

"The game's been abandoned so it was a pretty genuine risk," ESPNcricinfo quoted Handscomb as saying.

"The players want to play cricket, that's why we are here, but player safety is key and that's where this decision has come from," he added.

Yesterday, the day one of the match was suspended with two deliveries remaining in the 40th over after an Andrew Fekete delivery struck Marcus Stoinis.

"It was quite dangerous and as the game went on it got worse," said Marsh.

"As the pitch dried out it became unplayable. My players' safety is at the forefront of my mind. The right decision has been made and lessons will be learnt."

Umpires Phillip Gillespie and Geoff Joshua asked ground staff to roll the pitch in the interests of player safety but following an inspection, the play was abandoned.

"We're very disappointed at today's play being abandoned in the Marsh Sheffield Shield match between Victoria and Western Australia. But we also acknowledge that there have been two previous Shield matches at the MCG this season without incident," CA's Head of Cricket Operations, Peter Roach, had said in a statement.