The International Cricket Council (ICC) is facing mounting pressure to address the inconsistent playing surface of the drop-in pitches used at the Nassau County Ground in New York for the ongoing T20 World Cup. While the ICC maintains a public stance of addressing concerns, officials privately reject claims that the pitches are dangerous. However, significant efforts are being undertaken to ensure a fair and even playing field for the remaining matches, especially the highly anticipated India-Pakistan encounter on June 9.
Fixing Green Veins and Inconsistent Bounce
The source of the uneven bounce, according to the ICC’s management and cricket operations team, lies in the green veins present on the pitch. To address this, Cricbuzz confirms that the ICC has begun top-dressing the four drop-in pitches installed at Eisenhower Park in Long Island. This process involves pressing and pushing down on the grass veins with the hope of creating a more consistent playing surface.
This move comes after heavy criticism erupted following the first two matches at the Nassau County Stadium. Both encounters, Sri Lanka versus South Africa and India versus Ireland, witnessed first-innings totals under 100 runs. These low scores raised concerns about the upcoming India-Pakistan clash potentially turning into a low-scoring affair heavily favoring the team winning the toss and choosing to bat first.
ICC Acknowledges Issues but Defends Pitch Safety
The ICC has officially acknowledged the concerns surrounding the pitches. In a statement, they acknowledged that “the pitches used so far at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium have not played as consistently as we would have all wanted.” They further stated that the grounds team is working diligently to improve the surfaces for the remaining matches.
However, privately, some ICC officials believe the narrative would be different if India had batted first during the opening match. They suggest that India could have potentially scored over 180 runs, similar to their performance against Bangladesh in a warm-up game on the same pitch. An anonymous ICC insider stated, “Difficult, yes, because it was inconsistent, but it (the pitch) was not dangerous. I think it might have been a different story had India batted first like they did on the same pitch a couple of days earlier.”
India Maintains Neutral Stance
India, as a team, has chosen to remain neutral on the pitch controversy, emphasizing that the conditions are the same for all teams participating.
With the high-profile India-Pakistan match approaching, the pressure is on for the ICC to deliver a fair and even playing surface. The top-dressing efforts and a potential re-evaluation of the pitch preparation process are crucial steps towards achieving that goal. Cricket fans worldwide will be keeping a close eye on the remaining matches in New York to see if the ICC’s efforts successfully address the initial concerns about the drop-in pitches.
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