New York Pitch, Indian Team. (Source – Twitter/X)
Despite growing concerns over the quality of the pitches, the ICC has confirmed that there are no plans to move any T20 World Cup fixtures from the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York.
The recent matches at this venue have raised serious issues. On Monday, Sri Lanka faced their lowest T20I score, getting bowled out by South Africa for just 77. This was followed by India dismissing Ireland for 96 on Wednesday. These incidents have sparked fears about the unpredictable nature of the drop-in pitches.
According to BBC Sport, India have privately expressed concerns about the safety of their players due to the uneven bounce and inconsistent nature of the pitches. This worry is especially pressing with the highly anticipated India vs. Pakistan match set for Sunday, expected to draw a capacity crowd of 32,000 at Eisenhower Park.
The ICC is reportedly analyzing data from previous matches to determine the best course of action if further issues arise. However, they have stated that there are no contingency plans to shift the New York matches to other venues like Florida or Texas, which have natural turf pitches. An unused pitch has been reserved for the India vs. Pakistan game, with the option to change this based on the performance of other pitches before the match.
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Cricket fans can look forward to a series of exciting matches at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium. The upcoming schedule includes Canada vs. Ireland on Friday, June 7, Netherlands vs. South Africa on Saturday, June 8, India vs. Pakistan on Sunday, June 9, Bangladesh vs. South Africa on Monday, June 10, Canada vs. Pakistan on Tuesday, June 11, and USA vs. India on Wednesday, June 12, 2024.
Each match promises high-intensity cricket and excitement as teams navigate the challenges posed by the pitches. The cricket world will be closely watching how these games unfold. Going forward, it will be quite interesting to see if the ICC changes its mind about moving matches from this stadium or not.