"You work so hard to make it to the WC then have to play on this" - Michael Vaughan slams New York pitch for India-Ireland 2024 T20 World Cup clash
Former England captain Michael Vaughan blasted the pitch at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York where India are taking on Ireland today, June 5. Winning the toss and bowling first, Rohit Sharma's men bundled out the Irish for a paltry 96 in 16 overs.
The pitch once again had uneven bounce and exaggerated movement for the pacers, making run-scoring and strokeplay an arduous task. This comes after New York played host to another low-scoring affair in the South Africa-Sri Lanka contest a couple of days back. After the Lankans scored a dismal 77 in their innings, the Proteas took 16.2 overs to finish off the run-chase.
During the innings break of the India-Ireland clash, Vaughan criticized the New York track on his X account.
"Trying to sell the game in the states is great .. love it .. but for players to have to play on this sub standard surface in New York is unacceptable .. You work so hard to make it to the WC then have to play on this," posted Vaughan.
The South Africa-Sri Lanka game was the first T20 game played in New York with the pitch and outfield coming under heavy criticism post-match.
The teams combined to score at a run rate of 4.42, the lowest in T20 World Cup history. The whole match saw only six boundaries and as many maximums being struck.
The blockbuster India-Pakistan clash to be played in New York
The highly-anticipated India-Pakistan clash will be played at the same venue on Sunday, June 9.
With the stands expected to be filled to the rafters, the wicket conditions could play spoilsport to a potentially exciting contest. Before the India-Pakistan game, two other fixtures will be played in New York.
Canada will take on Ireland on June 7, followed by the Netherlands taking on South Africa on June 8.
After the India-Pakistan encounter, three other matches will be played at the venue. South Africa will play Bangladesh on June 10, followed by the Pakistan-Canada clash on June 11. The venue will witness its final game of the 2024 T20 World Cup when India takes on co-hosts USA on June 12.