LIVE TV
India
Photo: AFP
Recommended Stories
A group D match of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 between South Afruca and Sri Lanka witnessed an unusually low-scoring encounter in New York on Monday.
A total of 157 runs were scored between the two teams in 35.3 overs, implying a run rate of just 4.4 as South Africa survived with a six-wicket win.
The development sparked severe criticism from veteran cricketers and experts. They blasted International Cricket Council (ICC) for the treacherous Nassau County International Cricket Stadium pitch in New York.
Scoring was extremely difficult for either team on the tacky New York track, which also showed signs of uneven bounce.
In response, former India cricketer Irfan Pathan described the pitch as ‘not ideal’, while former South Africa performance coach Prasanna Agoram labelled it as ‘terrible’.
Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary pointed out how the ball tended to stop or lose pace when batters hit along the ground. Tiwary lashed out as ICC for the poor conditions provided for an event as big as the World Cup.
“I say it blatantly that this is unacceptable because if a batter hits a shot along the ground, the ball does not even travel, and that is because the amount of sand used is more. It will be difficult for teams to score runs. It is not possible to hit sixes consistently. You have to play some shots along the ground. You will get to see a lot more singles than doubles. This is unacceptable from the ICC because when there is a World Cup going on, and when you had time to prepare for it, they should have made a proper outfield as well,” said Tiwary during an interaction.
