Several pundits have criticised conditions at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in Long Island, New York, after an unusually slow-scoring encounter between Sri Lanka and South Africa.
Sri Lanka, having won the toss and opted to bat first, were bowled for 77 after 19.1 overs with Anrich Nortje registering the most economical four-over spell in men’s T20 World Cup history. South Africa took 16.2 overs to reach their target; over the course of the match, just six fours were scored.
Scoring was tough for both teams on a sticky surface that showed occasional signs of inconsistent bounce. The difficulty to score was compounded by a lush outfield that took pace off any ball that was struck along the ground. In all, 157 runs were scored over the game at a combined run rate of 4.42 runs per over, the lowest run rate in any men’s T20 World Cup game.
The stadium, that was purpose-built for this tournament, is set to host seven further group stage fixtures, including the marquee clash between India and Pakistan on Saturday.
Several pundits took to social media to criticise conditions, with some suggesting that it made for sub-optimal viewing for new fans tuning into a cricket match for the first time.
Former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis described the pitch as “spicy”, while renowned cricket analyst Prasanna Agoram called the wicket “terrible”.
On all honesty this is a terrible pitch to host a T20 World Cup match.
— Prasanna (@prasannalara) June 3, 2024
Wow this wicket is spicy 😱 #SAvsSRI
— Faf Du Plessis (@faf1307) June 3, 2024
Elsewhere, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan said it was “not an ideal” pitch for T20 cricket, while broadcaster Harsha Bhogle questioned how good a spectacle such a low-scoring game would be for new fans.
Not an ideal pitch for t20 cricket.
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) June 3, 2024
Not sure this is the best introduction to cricket in a new land……
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) June 3, 2024
You could have a different drop in pitch, maybe, but the outfield?
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) June 3, 2024
Nassau County International Cricket Stadium next hosts India’s first fixture of the tournament against Ireland on Wednesday.
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West Indies next play Uganda on June 8.
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