T20 World Cup: ICC rates New York, Tarouba pitches 'unsatisfactory'
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has given an "unsatisfactory" rating to the pitches used during the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup, for the initial two matches at Nassau County Stadium in New York. Besides, the pitch used for the semi-final between South Africa and Afghanistan at Brian Lara Academy, Tarouba, also received this rating. This assessment is out nearly two months after India won the tournament, beating South Africa in the final.
Low scores and player injuries on New York pitch
The first two matches in New York saw Sri Lanka getting bowled out for 77 against South Africa on June 3. India dismissed Ireland for a mere 96 two days later at the same venue. The second game was marked by several players suffering body blows due to uneven bounce. Indian captain Rohit Sharma coped a blow by Josh Little, while his compatriot Rishabh Pant and Ireland's Harry Tector also sustained injuries from the unpredictable pitch.
Criticism and remedial measures for New York pitch
The New York pitch was criticized as "bordering on dangerous" by Andy Flower and "shocking" by former England captain Michael Vaughan. In response to the criticism, the ICC acknowledged that the pitches had been substandard due to a tight schedule of eight games in two weeks. Remedial work was undertaken before Canada's match against Ireland. There were efforts to make the surface flatter.
The infamous New York pitch
The make-shift Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York made life difficult for the batters. The uneven pitch here saw an average first-innings score of 107. The stadium, which used a drop-in pitch, was dismantled after the match between USA and India.
Tarouba pitch under scrutiny after semi-final
The Tarouba pitch came under scrutiny when Afghanistan perished for 56 in the semi-final against South Africa. Uneven bounce perturbed the players throughout the match. Afghanistan's head coach Jonathan Trott expressed his dissatisfaction, stating "that's not a pitch you want to play a semi-final on." The surfaces at Brian Lara Cricket Academy proved challenging overall, with West Indies struggling at 30/5 at one stage against New Zealand.
ICC's overall ratings for pitches and outfields
The ICC rates pitches and outfields for international games on a scale of very good to unfit. The pitch at Providence for the semi-final between India and England received a "satisfactory" rating, while the Kensington Oval deck for the final between India and South Africa was rated "very good." Regarding outfields, only New York and Guyana received "satisfactory" ratings from the ICC, while all others were rated as "very good."
