T20 World Cup 2024: ICC explains drop-in pitch conditions

The upcoming Twenty20 World Cup in New York has raised concerns about the quality of pitches at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium. However, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has moved to dispel these apprehensions, assuring fans of pitches conducive to exciting T20 cricket.

Designing the Pitches

Damian Hough, the head curator at the Adelaide Oval, spearheaded the preparation of the pitches for the World Cup. He emphasized that the pitches have been designed to offer good bounce, pace, and value for shots, typical of T20 cricket.

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“They will be typical T20 pitches, where there’s good bounce, good pace and value for shots,” the ICC said.

Perception in India

There’s a prevailing perception in India that the pitches in New York will be slow and spin-friendly. This perception is reflected in India’s team selection, which includes four specialist spinners.

“Obviously, you want the players to be able to play shots all around the ground. So that’s what we designed,” Damian Hough, who has prepared the pitches, said. Hough is the head curator at the Adelaide Oval.

Hough refrained from predicting the scores but highlighted the aim to produce pitches with minimal spin and seam, allowing batters to play shots freely.

Hough said he cannot predict what kind of total the pitches produce eventually. “I can’t predict the scores. That’s up to the batters to play that, but we can’t be happier where they’re at right now. Our ambition is to produce pitches along those lines where they’re good quality pitches, minimal spin, minimal seam and ball coming onto the bat and let the players play the shot.”

Preparation Process

The ICC prepared ten pitches at a turf farm in Florida and shipped them to New York’s Nassau County Stadium. Four of these pitches will be used for matches, while the rest will be utilized for practice sessions. New York’s climate necessitated the decision to use drop-in pitches, which could be more conducive to growing pitches within the required time-frame.

Chris Tetley, the ICC head of events, stressed the importance of delivering pitches of the highest quality. He expressed confidence in the team’s ability to showcase their expertise to a global audience.

“Obviously, we’ve had to use drop in pitches because the climate in New York isn’t conducive to growing pitches within the timeframe we needed. You know, the harsh winter there wouldn’t have enabled pitches to be prepared. But in Florida, as we’ve seen, the conditions have been outstanding and perfect for the project that we’ve undertaken,” Chris Tetley, the ICC head of events, said.

“We’re now focused on bedding in the pitches here in New York to ensure we’re delivering an end product of the highest quality. The games in New York are a great platform for us to showcase our abilities to a global audience. It’s certainly a massive thrill for everyone at Adelaide Oval to be involved in such a huge event,” Hough added.

Matches in New York

New York will host eight matches involving nine teams, including India and Pakistan. The matches will occur at the temporary modular stadium at Eisenhower Park in Nassau County. A total of eight matches involving nine teams will feature in New York, including Sri Lanka, Canada, Ireland, Bangladesh, South Africa, the Netherlands, and the USA, besides India, Pakistan, with the first match taking place on June 3, between Sri Lanka and South Africa