The International Cricket Council (ICC) released a statement ahead of the Pakistan vs India T20 World Cup 2024 clash over the fiasco the New York pitches have caused in the ongoing tournament.
“ICC recognises that the pitches used so far at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium have not played as consistently as we would have all wanted,” ICC conveyed in the statement.
“The world-class grounds team have been working hard since the conclusion of yesterday’s game to remedy the situation and deliver the best possible surfaces for the remaining matches.“
The drop-in pitches of the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium – brought from Adelaide, Australia to Florida where they were prepared for six months – have caused major havoc in the cricket community.
The first reaction of the pitches and ground was from team India and their coach Rahul Dravid after the warm-up game against Bangladesh which the team won by 60 runs.
Dravid had called the ground sandy and expressed concerns of injuries for the players. "The ground is a little bit soft. So I think the guys will feel that a little bit tomorrow on the hamstring and calves, so it is an area we have to ensure we are working around and ensure that the guys are looking after themselves because it does feel a little bit heavy underneath," he said.
Bangladesh’s Shoriful Islam also injured the webbing of his bowling hand during the same match and was advised a rest by the medical team of Bangladesh.
Nassau County International Cricket Stadium saw its first match between South Africa and Sri Lanka on June 3 and on June 5 India played Ireland at the venue.
During the India vs Canada encounter, experts and fans noticed that the outfield was quite sloppy and speculated players getting injured.
India’s Harsha Bhogle took to his X account (formerly Twitter) and wrote “Have to do something about the pitches. Can’t imagine India vs Pakistan on this one.”
Fans were quick to respond and they agreed that the pitches were an issue but the soft outfield was the bigger issue at hand.
The next game at the venue is scheduled to be between arch-rivals Pakistan and India on June 9. The clash between India and Pakistan is a high-voltage game and is the most anticipated match of any ICC event.
