Rohit Sharma to play for India in 2024 T20 World Cup©AFP
The Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York received a lot of criticism following the 2024 T20 World Cup match between India and Ireland. In the face-off, batters witnessed uneven bounce, and some experts even assessed it as ‘dangerous.’ With India set to face Pakistan at the same venue on Sunday, several reports have emerged suggesting that the ICC may eventually reschedule the match. But that did not happen and a report in the Times revealed the ‘desperate solutions’ taken by the ICC to improve the situation ahead of the much-anticipated encounter.
“The inconsistent bounce was caused by grass veins on the track. To fix this, the pitch has now been top-dressed and leveled to reduce the impact of grass veins and the variability of the pitch. When rolling the wicket, the ball is flatter. “The pitch may not be of the standard they want, but it is not dangerous,” the report claimed.
Even the ICC admitted the stadium had failed to play ‘consistently’ and promised match officials and ground staff were working to improve the situation.
“The T20 inc (organizing committee) and the ICC recognize that the pitch used to date at the Nassau County International Cricket Ground has not played as consistently as we would all have liked,” the ICC said in a statement.
“The world-class grounds team has been working hard since yesterday’s match to resolve the situation and provide the best possible surface for the remainder of the match.”
India and Pakistan have not played a single bilateral match for almost a decade due to political tensions, so matches at international tournaments are always highly anticipated.
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