Former England Coach Andy Flower has criticized the pitches at Nassau County Stadium, New York, where the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup matches are being held, stating that they are “bordering on dangerous” and unsuitable for international cricket.
The stadium is hosting eight matches in the tournament, including three of India’s home matches against Ireland, Pakistan, and the USA. The pitches have come under scrutiny after low-scoring contests between South Africa and Sri Lanka, as well as India and Ireland.
Speaking to ESPNCricinfo as quoted by Wisden, Flower expressed his concern, saying, “I have got to say that is not a good surface to play an international match on. It is bordering on dangerous. You saw the ball bouncing from a length both ways, skidding low occasionally, but in the main, it was bouncing unusually high and striking people on the thumb, on the gloves, and on the helmet, making life very difficult for any batsman.”
Sanjay Manjrekar, former Indian cricketer and commentator, also weighed in, stating that while dangerous pitches have been seen before in international cricket, the preparation of this particular pitch has gone wrong. He suggested that efforts could be made to improve the pitch, but there seems to be an inherent issue with its pace.
The use of a drop-in pitch, prepared away from the venue and installed into the ground for the match, has been cited as a possible factor contributing to the pitch’s condition.
