The fresh pitch at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York has faced severe criticism during the T20 World Cup 2024.
Termed as “unsafe” and “below par,” the pitch has raised alarms among players and pundits.
In Tuesday’s Group A encounter, Ireland was dismissed for just 96 runs by India, who clinched victory by eight wickets.
Heinrich Malan Expresses Frustration with the Pitch
Heinrich Malan, the coach of Ireland, refrained from directly attributing the defeat to the pitch but conveyed his disappointment with the playing conditions.
“You need a good surface to play competitive cricket, and what we’ve seen over the past couple of games hasn’t met those expectations,” remarked Malan. “Hopefully, in the coming days, the pitch will improve, allowing for better cricket.”
This marked the second consecutive low-scoring match at the new venue. On Monday, Sri Lanka was dismissed for 77, enabling South Africa to secure a comfortable victory with 22 balls remaining.
Malan stressed the importance of a fair competition, stating, “It’s the pinnacle of our event, and while we don’t expect scores of 200 in every game, we do expect a balanced contest, which was clearly lacking today.”
Andy Flower, the former Zimbabwe player and ex-England team director, joined the criticism of the pitch.
Indian bowlers Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, and Arshdeep Singh took advantage of the difficult conditions, quickly dismantling the Irish batting lineup. India successfully chased down the target of 97 in 16 overs.
Team India is scheduled to play their next matches at this venue against Pakistan on June 9 and co-hosts USA on June 12.
