Who said what - top 5 expert reactions to pitch conditions in USA ft. Sanjay Manjrekar
New York's first-ever World Cup game was a damp squib thanks to the worrying pitch conditions on offer when South Africa took on Sri Lanka in their respective 2024 T20 World Cup openers on June 3. While the energy pre-game of cricket being played in the USA and specifically New York was at an all-time high, the action on the field was a snoozefest.
Winning the toss and electing to bat first, the Lankan batters could never get going and were bowled out for a paltry 77 in 19.1 overs. The ball constantly moved both ways with uneven bounce, leading to a nightmare for the batters. To further worsen matters, the outfield was as slow as they come, resulting in only two fours during the Sri Lankan innings.
The trend continued during the South African run-chase, with the side taking 16.2 overs to complete a relatively straightforward task. The innings saw only three fours with the ball constantly coming to a halt on the outfield.
It meant all the post-match discussions turned into criticism of the drop-in pitch in New York with another seven matches to be played at the venue. This includes the marquee India-Pakistan encounter on Sunday, June 9.
Several experts took issue with the pitch conditions at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York and here are the best five reactions.
#1 Sanjay Manjrekar
Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar felt the New York pitch for the South Africa-Sri Lanka match was too much in favor of the bowlers. He deemed the pitch not suitable for the shortest format.
Commenting about the pitch on ESPN Cricinfo, Manjrekar said:
"Overall, is it a suitable surface for a T20 game? I don’t think so. It’s just not good enough for a T20 game as far as I’m concerned. Yes, it has to be a balanced wicket between bat and the ball, but this is way too much in favour of the bowlers. It’s not going to be easy for the batters at all."
The overall run rate of 4.42 was the lowest ever in a T20 World Cup game and the second-lowest in a T20I between two full-member sides.
#2 Manoj Tiwary
Another former Indian batter Manoj Tiwary was extremely critical of the outfield at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium. He blasted the ICC for the lack of proper pitch and outfield preparation for a major event like the World Cup.
Following the South Africa-Sri Lanka contest, Tiwary said on Cricbuzz:
"This is unacceptable because if a batter hits a shot along the ground, the ball does not even travel, and that is because the amount of sand used is more. It will be difficult for teams to score runs. It is not possible to hit sixes consistently. You have to play some shots along the ground. You will get to see a lot more singles than doubles. This is unacceptable from the ICC because when there is a World Cup going on, and when you had time to prepare for it, they should have made a proper outfield as well."
India will begin their 2024 T20 World Cup campaign against Ireland at this very venue on Wednesday, June 5.
#3 Irfan Pathan
Former Indian left-arm pacer Irfan Pathan did not wait until the end of the South Africa-Sri Lanka game to lash out at the New York wicket. He took to his X handle at the innings break after Sri Lanka had been bowled out for 77 to voice his displeasure.
Pathan tweeted:
"Not an ideal pitch for T20 cricket."
Team India plays three out of its four group-stage matches at this venue before moving to Florida for their final outing.
#4 Farveez Maharoof
Former Sri Lankan all-rounder Farveez Maharoof felt the New York track was unsuitable for T20 cricket as batters need 10 to 15 deliveries to get used to the conditions before executing their strokes. He stated that the batting side might have to split the innings into 10-over phases to find success on such a wicket.
Following the game, Maharoof said on ESPN Cricinfo:
"I heard someone in commentary saying that the best way to go about it is to play in 10-over circuits. Give themseleves a chance in the first 10 overs when the ball is doing something by keeping wickets for the second half. I reckon that's the lesson for the other teams, especially India when they take on Pakistan. "
He added:
"But, overall I don't think it is a suitable wicket for T20 cricket and just not good enough for a T20 game as far as I am concerned. It's not going to be easy at all for the batters unless they spend 10-15 deliveries in the middle to get a hang of the pace before smashing those big sixes."
The South Africa-Sri Lanka clash saw the teams combine for only six fours and as many sixes in a combined 213 deliveries.
#5 Faf du Plessis
Former South African captain Faf du Plessis was not too critical of the New York pitch but called it 'spicy' on his X handle.
Of the 11 bowlers who bowled in the contest, not one conceded runs at an economy of over seven.
Du Plessis tweeted 30 minutes after the game started:
"Wow this wicket is spicy."
Sri Lanka crawled their way to 24/1 after the powerplay, while South Africa struggled just as much, with the scoreboard reading 27/2 after the first six overs.