Pakistan coach Gary Kirsten stood up for the playing surface at New York's T20 Cricket World Cup venue on Sunday after his team's loss to India in a low-scoring match. India was all out for 119, their lowest score against Pakistan in a T20 match, yet they won by six wickets as their opponents fell short. All five matches at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, equipped with a 'drop in' square installed a month prior to the tournament, have featured low scores. Criticism arose after India's victory over Ireland last week, with former Zimbabwe international and ex-England team director Andy Flower labeling the pitch 'dangerous' due to its uneven bounce. However, Sunday's pitch, though challenging to score on, only occasionally produced a ball that 'popped' off a length, and Kirsten found it made for an engaging game. 'I don't think it was dangerous; occasionally a ball would rise, but not frequently. It generally played low, making scoring difficult for both teams, and the slow outfield meant it wouldn't be a high-scoring game,' Kirsten noted. 'I would have thought 140 would be a good score on that pitch, so when India didn't reach that, I believed we had a chance,' he added. Kirsten acknowledged that while boundary hits were scarce, unusual for the T20 format, it created a different kind of contest. 'We expected it to be close, and sometimes it's enjoyable to watch games like this; it's not just about sixes and big hits, chasing 260 or 240. A 120 chase can be very entertaining, and I don't think it's detrimental to the game,' he said. Following last week's complaints, the International Cricket Council (ICC) admitted that the pitches for the opening games at the venue did not meet standards. 'T20 Inc and the ICC acknowledge that the pitches used so far at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium have not performed consistently as desired,' the ICC stated. 'The world-class grounds team has been diligently working since the last game to improve the situation and provide the best possible surfaces for the remaining matches,' they concluded. Three more games are scheduled at the venue, with the final one on Wednesday featuring India against co-hosts USA.
Text: Lara Palmer
11.06.2024
Low-scoring T20 World Cup Match at Nassau County Stadium Raises Pitch Quality Concerns