T20 World Cup 2024: Is the New York pitch Dangerous?

India’s first match against Ireland in ICC T20 World Cup 2024 held on June 5 in New York raised questions over the safety of the pitch, due to many batters injured from both sides.  Indian captain Rohit Sharma had to retire hurt after the poor condition of the pitch,  Rishabh Pant suffered due to the uneven bounce of the pitch, and most of the players from Ireland’s side hard to stand on the pitch, consequently restricted to 96 runs on their first match at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. There were already raised questions after Sri Lanka were bowled out for 77 runs and South Africa took 18.2 overs to chase it at the same ground. The movement on the field was not the sole issue at hand. The batters faced great difficulty in getting started due to the unpredictable bounce of the pitch. Certain balls would unexpectedly leap from a favourable distance, while others would stay unusually low, even below the knee. Even the most skilled batters found it challenging to accurately gauge the speed of the pitch.

Irfan Pathan slams on New York pitch

Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan criticised the pitch mentioning it is not safe for players, ‘Look, we need to promote cricket in the USA, but this pitch is unsafe for players. If we had a pitch similar to this in India, a match not ready to be played there again for a long time, the New york pitch is not good. I mean, we are talking about the T20 World Cup here, and not even a bilateral series,’ he said.

Image credit: BCCI/Instagram

ICC n’t ready to respond

Despite the poor condition of pitches at New York for the T20 World Cup, there have been no decisions over shifting the remaining matches out of the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, and the International Cricket Council is not ready to officially respond yet. The temporary venue in New York, constructed for the T20 World Cup, comprises of 10 Tahoma grass pitches. These pitches were grown in Australia, then transported to Florida, and finally delivered to New York via trucks. They were installed a few weeks before the T20 World Cup.

Michael Vaughan marks dissatisfaction over the condition of the pitch 

Michael Vaughan expressed his dissatisfaction over the condition of the pitch at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium during the T20 World Cup match between India and Ireland. He expressed his dissatisfaction with the subpar playing surface in New York, stating that it is unacceptable for players to have to compete on such a shocking surface. Despite his appreciation for promoting the game in the United States, he believes that it is disheartening for players who have worked tirelessly to reach the World Cup only to be confronted with this issue. This statement was shared on his X handle.

Photo credit: PTI

‘Can’t imagine India vs Pakistan on this pitch’

Despite the pathetic condition of pitches, Many cricket fans all over the world awaiting for India vs Pakistan match on June 9  at the Nassau Country Stadium in New York. Certain deliveries were skidding off the pitch, while others stayed low. Batsmen struggled to execute their shots, and bowlers were unsure about the appropriate lengths to bowl. This T20 World Cup seems to be quite challenging. The Cricket analyst Harsha Bhogle expressed his discontent on social media regarding the New York pitch, emphasizing that hosting an India vs Pakistan match on such pitches is unacceptable. He stressed the need for immediate action to address this issue, stating, “We must take necessary measures to rectify the pitch conditions. It is unimaginable to witness an India vs Pakistan match on a pitch like this.”