By G. Mudalige, Jadetimes News
The International Cricket Council has rated as "unsatisfactory" the pitches used for the first two matches at New York's Nassau County Stadium and for the semi-final at the Brian Lara Academy in Tarouba. It has been nearly two months since the conclusion of the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup, where India emerged victorious against South Africa in the final.
That very nearly happened at the Nassau County Stadium, a modular venue built especially for this tournament, after Sri Lanka was bowled out for 77 by South Africa and Ireland skittled for 96 against India in back-to-back matches. The inconsistent and variable bounce of the pitches also caused several players, including India's Rohit Sharma, to suffer the most painful injuries in the upper arm after failing to hook one from left-arm quick Josh Little of Ireland, forcing him to retire hurt.
Former cricketers Andy Flower and Michael Vaughan vented their ire at the preparation, Flower calling it "bordering on dangerous" and Vaughan said it was "shocking." The venue has been set up in only five months with Damian Hough, the chief curator for Adelaide Oval, in charge of the preparation for the drop-in pitch. Although attempts were made to get the pitch in order—the covering and rolling of certain spots where grass shoots were popping up under cracks, for example—the ICC recognized that the short turnarounds between matches at the venue were a factor in both substandard surfaces.
Amidst that dreadful performance, even more focus was attracted by the semi-final pitch at the Brian Lara Academy, on which Afghanistan was bowled out for 56. That pitch was really two-paced, with some deliveries barely bouncing and others rearing up unpredictably. "That's not a pitch you want to play a semi-final on," Afghanistan's head coach Jonathan Trott said.
All the pitches and outfields were rated by the ICC from "very good" to "unfit." The ground for the India vs. England semi-final in Providence was rated to be "satisfactory"; the Kensington Oval pitch for the final was rated to be "very good"; the outfields at New York and Guyana were deemed "satisfactory," with others rated as "very good."
