The ICC has rated the Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 pitches played at the Nassau County Stadium in New York and the Brian Lara Academy in Tarouba, Trinidad, as “unsatisfactory”. This critical assessment came just almost two months after the conclusion of the event, in which India won against South Africa in the final.
Specifically, the New York pitches were bad during the first two matches. On June 3, Sri Lanka was bowled out for a paltry 77 by South Africa, while Ireland was dismissed for 96 by India just two days later. Several players got hit on the body due to unpredictable bounce on these surfaces; Indian captain Rohit Sharma had to retire hurt after he was hit on the arm by Josh Little.
Other victims of short deliveries were Rishabh Pant and Ireland’s Harry Tector. There are grave fears over player safety at this ground, which was constructed in an unbelievable five months. Heavy criticism followed the proceedings, with cricket pundits like Andy Flower and Michael Vaughan terming the pitch conditions as “bordering on dangerous” and “shocking,” respectively.
In response to these issues, remedial work on the New York pitches-rolling and covering cracks with topsoil to provide some stability-began. Although some later games, including the India vs. Pakistan match, have received “satisfactory” ratings, these early games left their imprint on the tournament.
The pitch for the semi-final between Afghanistan and South Africa at the Brian Lara Academy was also rated “unsatisfactory.” It seemed that Afghanistan fared terribly on this difficult surface, being skittled out as low as 56, with their head coach, Jonathan Trott, lining up to slam the pitch’s suitability for such a high-pressure match.
Even though these venues delivered some pitching pitfalls, those of the other grounds, such as Kensington Oval, hosting the final round, and Providence, which will host the semifinal match between India and England, ranked considerably better. Furthermore, the ICC generally expressed satisfaction with the outfields of the tournament rating them ‘very good’.
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