Cricket
T20 World Cup: ICC rates two New York matches, South Africa vs Afghanistan pitches as ‘unsatisfactory’
ICC found three pitches – two in New York and one in Trinidad – to be ‘unsatisfactory’ at the T20 World Cup.
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The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday released the pitch ratings for all 52 completed matches of the T20 World Cup 2024 that was held in the West Indies and the USA in June.
Cricket’s global body deemed three pitches, two in the USA and one in the West Indies, to be ‘unsatisfactory’. Additionally, 31 pitches were rated ‘satisfactory’ and 18 received a rating of ‘very good’ by the ICC. The ratings have been applied to only the completed matches with three matches not producing an outcome – two were abandoned while one ended with no result.
The makeshift Nassau County Cricket Stadium in New York which hosted eight group stage matches, received two ‘unsatisfactory’ ratings: for the Sri Lanka vs South Africa and India vs Ireland contests – incidentally the first two matches held at the ground.
Both were low-scoring contests and produced uneven bounce. Ireland were bowled out for 96 against India and Sri Lanka were skittled for 77 by South Africa in New York.
The other pitch that came under question was at the Brian Lara Cricket Stadium in Trinidad which hosted the Afghanistan vs South Africa semi-final on June 26.
In conditions dominated by the Proteas pacers, Afghanistan were shot out for mere 56 runs within 12 overs. The total was Afghanistan’s lowest T20I score and also the lowest total ever in a men’s T20 World Cup semi-final.
In reply, South Africa romped home in 8.5 overs to make their first final appearance.
Speaking after the clash, Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott said: “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. You should be confident in your foot movement and being able to hit through the line or use your skills.”
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting also found the use of a fresh pitch for the semi-final to be unconventional. “It seems strange to me that you’ll use a brand new wicket for a semifinal one that you’ve actually got no idea about how it’s going to play. We heard the preparation for this wicket started about a week and a half,” Ponting told the host broadcaster.
“There was a game early in the tournament – West Indies and New Zealand – which was a 150 plays 140 type game. And at least they had some sort of idea of how that wicket was going play. I know the ball swung that night. That’s okay. You can deal with that. But 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,” Ponting added.
ICC pitch and outfield ratings
No. | Date | Match | Venue | Pitch Rating | Outfield rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 01-Jun-24 | 1ST T20I USA Vs CAN | Grand Prairie Stadium, Texas | Very Good | Very Good |
2 | 02-Jun-24 | 2ND T20I WI Vs PNG | Guyana National Stadium, Georgetown | Satisfactory | Satisfactory |
3 | 02-Jun-24 | 3RD T20I NAM Vs OMN | Kensington Oval, Bridgetown | Satisfactory | Very Good |
4 | 03-Jun-24 | 4TH T20I SL Vs SA | Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York | Unsatisfactory | Satisfactory |
5 | 03-Jun-24 | 5TH T20I AFG Vs UGA | Guyana National Stadium, Georgetown | Satisfactory | Satisfactory |
6 | 04-Jun-24 | 6TH T20I NED Vs Nep | Grand Prairie Stadium, Texas | Satisfactory | Very Good |
7 | 04-Jun-24 | 7TH T20I ENG Vs SCO | Kensington Oval, Bridgetown | Satisfactory | Very Good |
8 | 05-Jun-24 | 8TH T20I IND Vs IRL | Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York | Unsatisfactory | Satisfactory |
9 | 05-Jun-24 | 9TH T20I PNG Vs UGA | Guyana National Stadium, Georgetown | Satisfactory | Very Good |
10 | 05-Jun-24 | 10TH T20I AUS Vs OMN | Kensington Oval, Bridgetown | Satisfactory | Very Good |
11 | 06-Jun-24 | 11TH T20I USA Vs PAK | Grand Prairie Stadium, Texas | Very Good | Very Good |
12 | 06-Jun-24 | 12TH T20I NAM Vs SCO | Kensington Oval, Bridgetown | Satisfactory | Very Good |
13 | 07-Jun-24 | 13TH T20I CAN Vs IRL | Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York | Satisfactory | Satisfactory |
14 | 07-Jun-24 | 14TH T20I SL Vs BAN | Grand Prairie Stadium, Texas | Very Good | Very Good |
15 | 07-Jun-24 | 15TH T20I NZ Vs AFG | Guyana National Stadium, Georgetown | Satisfactory | Satisfactory |
16 | 08-Jun-24 | 16TH T20I NLD Vs SA | Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York | Satisfactory | Satisfactory |
17 | 08-Jun-24 | 17TH T20I AUS Vs ENG | Kensington Oval, Bridgetown | Satisfactory | Very Good |
18 | 08-Jun-24 | 18TH T20I WI Vs UGA | Guyana National Stadium, Georgetown | Satisfactory | Very Good |
19 | 09-Jun-24 | 19TH T20I IND Vs PAK | Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York | Satisfactory | Satisfactory |
20 | 09-Jun-24 | 20TH T20I OMN Vs SC | Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua | Very Good | Very Good |
21 | 10-Jun-24 | 21ST T20I SA Vs BAN | Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York | Satisfactory | Very Good |
22 | 11-Jun-24 | 22ND T20I PAK Vs CAN | Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York | Satisfactory | Very Good |
23 | 11-Jun-24 | 24TH T20I AUS Vs NAM | Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua | Very Good | Very Good |
24 | 12-Jun-24 | 25TH T20I USA Vs IND | Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York | Satisfactory | Very Good |
25 | 12-Jun-24 | 26TH T20I WI Vs NZ | Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad | Satisfactory | Very Good |
26 | 13-Jun-24 | 27TH T20I BAN Vs NLD | Arnos Vale Ground, Kingstown | Satisfactory | Very Good |
27 | 13-Jun-24 | 28TH T20I ENG Vs OMN | Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua | Satisfactory | Very Good |
28 | 13-Jun-24 | 29TH T20I AFG Vs PNG | Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad | Satisfactory | Very Good |
29 | 14-Jun-24 | 31ST T20I – SA Vs Nep | Arnos Vale Ground, Kingstown | Satisfactory | Very Good |
30 | 14-Jun-24 | 32ND T20I NZ Vs UGA | Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad | Satisfactory | Very Good |
31 | 15-Jun-24 | 34TH T20I NAM Vs ENG | Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua | Very Good | Very Good |
32 | 15-Jun-24 | 35TH T20I AUS Vs SCO | Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia | Very Good | Very Good |
33 | 16-Jun-24 | 36TH T20I PAK Vs IRL | Central Broward Regional Park Stadium, Florida | Very Good | Very Good |
34 | 16-Jun-24 | 37TH T20I BAN Vs Nep | Arnos Vale Ground, Kingstown | Satisfactory | Very Good |
35 | 16-Jun-24 | 38TH T20I SL Vs NLD | Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia | Very Good | Very Good |
36 | 17-Jun-24 | 39TH T20I NZ Vs PNG | Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad | Satisfactory | Very Good |
37 | 17-Jun-24 | 40TH T20I WI Vs AFG | Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia | Very Good | Very Good |
38 | 19-Jun-24 | 41ST T20I USA Vs SA | Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua | Very Good | Very Good |
39 | 19-Jun-24 | 42ND T20I ENG Vs WI | Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia | Very Good | Very Good |
40 | 20-Jun-24 | 43RD T20I AFG Vs IND | Kensington Oval, Bridgetown | Satisfactory | Very Good |
41 | 20-Jun-24 | 44TH T20I AUS Vs BAN | Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua | Very Good | Very Good |
42 | 21-Jun-24 | 45TH T20I ENG Vs SA | Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia | Very Good | Very Good |
43 | 21-Jun-24 | 46TH T20I USA Vs WI | Kensington Oval, Bridgetown | Very Good | Very Good |
44 | 22-Jun-24 | 47TH T20I IND Vs BAN | Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua | Very Good | Very Good |
45 | 22-Jun-24 | 48TH T20I AFG Vs AUS | Arnos Vale Ground, Kingstown | Satisfactory | Very Good |
46 | 23-Jun-24 | 49TH T20I USA Vs ENG | Kensington Oval, Bridgetown | Satisfactory | Very Good |
47 | 23-Jun-24 | 50TH T20I WI Vs SA | Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua | Satisfactory | Very Good |
48 | 24-Jun-24 | 51ST T20I AUS Vs IND | Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia | Very Good | Very Good |
49 | 24-Jun-24 | 52 T20I AFG Vs BAN | Arnos Vale Ground, Kingstown | Satisfactory | Very Good |
50 | 26-Jun-24 | 53 T20I AFG Vs SA | Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad | Unsatisfactory | Very Good |
51 | 27-Jun-24 | 54 T20I IND Vs ENG | Guyana National Stadium, Georgetown | Satisfactory | Very Good |
52 | 29-Jun-24 | 55TH T20I SA Vs IND | Kensington Oval, Bridgetown | Very Good | Very Good |