The ICC men’s T20 World Cup 2024 took place in the USA and the West Indies, with the USA hosting a portion of the tournament and the West Indies hosting group games, Super 8s, and the knockout stages. India emerged victorious in the final, narrowly defeating South Africa.
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While the tournament was deemed successful overall, certain pitches that hosted crucial games received heavy criticism for not meeting the required standards. The ICC recently labeled these pitches as ‘unsatisfactory’.
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Which pitches were rated as ‘unsatisfactory’ by the ICC?
The Nassau County Cricket Stadium in New York faced severe criticism from fans, experts, and players alike. The stadium was constructed in just five months to accommodate the tournament, with special soil imported from the Adelaide Oval in Australia to replicate similar playing conditions.
In the first match at the stadium featuring Sri Lanka and South Africa, uneven bounce and a slow outfield led to Sri Lanka being dismissed for a meager 77 runs. The following game between India and Ireland witnessed the Irish team being bowled out for 96 runs, with Indian captain Rohit Sharma sustaining an injury due to the pitch conditions.
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Esteemed cricketers like Andy Flower and Michael Vaughan described the pitch conditions as appalling and potentially hazardous.
Another pitch that received an ‘unsatisfactory’ rating from the ICC was the venue for the semi-final clash between Afghanistan and South Africa. Despite Afghanistan’s remarkable journey to their first-ever major tournament semi-final by defeating Australia and Bangladesh in the Super 8, the subpar conditions at the Brian Lara Cricket Stadium in Tarouba led to Afghanistan being bowled out for a mere 56 runs. Afghanistan’s head coach Jonathan Trott criticized the pitch, stating, “That is not a pitch suitable for a semi-final.”