The ICC released pitch ratings for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, identifying three pitches as ‘unsatisfactory.’
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has released its pitch ratings for all 52 completed matches of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, held in June across the West Indies and the USA. According to the ICC’s assessment, three pitches—two in the USA and one in the West Indies—were deemed ‘unsatisfactory.’ Meanwhile, 31 pitches were rated as ‘satisfactory,’ and 18 were rated ‘very good.’ The tournament also saw two matches abandoned and one ending with no result.
The makeshift Nassau County Cricket Stadium in New York, which hosted eight group stage matches, received two ‘unsatisfactory’ ratings. These ratings were for the Sri Lanka vs. South Africa and India vs. Ireland matches, the first two games played at the venue. In those encounters, Ireland was bowled out for 96, leading to an eight-wicket defeat against India, and Sri Lanka was dismissed for 77, with South Africa chasing the target in sluggish conditions.
The other pitch under scrutiny was used for the Afghanistan vs. South Africa semi-final at the Brian Lara Cricket Stadium in Trinidad on June 26. Afghanistan was bowled out for just 56 runs within 12 overs, the lowest total in a men’s T20 World Cup semi-final. South Africa comfortably chased the target in 8.5 overs, securing their first-ever final appearance.
Reacting to the pitch conditions, Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott criticized the surface, stating, “That’s not the pitch that you want to have a match, a semi-final of a World Cup, on plain and simple. It should be a fair contest. I’m not saying it should be flat completely with no spin and no seam movement, but I’m saying you shouldn’t have batsmen worrying about going forward and the ball flying over their head.”
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Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting also questioned the decision to use a fresh pitch for such a crucial match, calling it “unconventional.” Ponting commented, “It seems strange to me that you’ll use a brand new wicket for a semi-final—one that you’ve actually got no idea about how it’s going to play. The variation in bounce and seam that we’ve seen here, I’m not sure if I’m the groundsman, I’ll be experimenting with something like that in such a big moment.”
The ICC’s pitch ratings reflect the challenges faced during the tournament and highlight the importance of fair playing conditions, especially in key matches.
Last Updated on August 21, 2024
