Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen questioned the nature of the drop-in pitch at Nassau County International cricket stadium ahead of the India vs Pakistan clash at the newly constructed stadium. Off all the experts giving their opinion regarding the nature of dropping pitches, Kevin Pietersen too raised his worry about the detoriating condition of pitches in New York.
The New York stadium witnessed its first World Cup earlier on June 3 where South Africa beat Sri Lanka by 6 wickets. However, the pitch at Nassau County was criticized due to issues with its pitch and the outfield.
The Nassau county Pitch
The weather in New York is perfect for cricket. Not too hot, not too cold, no worry about dew. The pitch and outfield, however, will be under the scanner again after the events from Monday, where 80 for 4 in 16.2 overs played 77 all out. But things can only get better. India played a warm-up game here, on a different track, and they scored 180.
The upcoming match at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium will only be the second in the venue’s history. Previously, the stadium hosted a match between Sri Lanka and South Africa on June 3. Sri Lanka were bowled out for just 77 runs during this low-scoring encounter. South Africa also struggled in their chase, reaching the target in the 17th over. The pitch for the upcoming match is expected to be slow and sluggish, which could favour India due to their skilled spinners who can effectively utilize such conditions.
Before the warm-up game, the uncertainty regarding the surface, the ground was at its peak and it was natural since it was the first-ever competitive game at the venue after it was completed last month only. Now that the game has taken place, a few interesting factors will have to be kept in mind given how the surface played. Firstly, it might not be a 200-210 surface and batting first probably be a good decision since there will be day games mostly in the Big Apple.
Secondly, the spongy bounce will bring unsurity in batters’ minds and hence will affect scoring as well. Some balls were coming on, a few were turning and some of them really kicked off the surface, which might also be the after-effects of drop-in wicket. Thus, ability to play spin will be tested and whoever gets through that test will be able to score and scoring in the second innings will get tougher and tougher. With the quality of spinners they have, SL vs SA might prove to be a cracking encounter.
Another factor, the thick and sluggish outfield. The lofted shots were dropping into the turf and stopping and hence, running between the wickets will be crucial to setting scores and chasing down totals.
Former England cricketer now commentator Kevin Pietersen has expressed his concerns about the conditions and the pitch.
Kevin Pietersen fires warning ahead of India-Pakistan T20 World Cup clash about the Nassau pitch.
Former England batter Kevin Pietersen believes the wicket in the Nassau International County Stadium in New York needs some rework ahead of the India-Pakistan 2024 T20 World Cup clash on Sunday, June 9. Kevin Pietersen took to X and also warned the players against exercising caution while fielding on the surface in New York.
Several fans and experts have expressed concerns over the outfield following the low-scoring contest between Sri Lanka and South Africa on Monday. The venue also hosted the warm-up fixture between India and Bangladesh, with the former’s coach Rahul Dravid citing that the soft and spongy outfield could cause injuries to players.
Pietersen took to X and wrote:
“Hmmmm, that wicket in NYC needs some attention before the big game. I’d also suggest having seen a few players that tried to slide and jarred their knees, that all players exercise caution. I’m sure everyone is working extremely hard to make sure it’s perfect for IND vs PAK!”
The Proteas’ sensational bowling performance restricted Sri Lanka to only 77, which is the Island nation’s lowest score in T20I cricket. However, the South African batters didn’t get to the target smoothly either, and needed over 15 overs to reach there.
Team India potentially start as favorites against Pakistan in New York
With the Men in Blue holding a 7-1 winning record over Pakistan in T20 World Cups, they should start as favorites for Sunday’s high-voltage clash as well. While Rohit Sharma and company haven’t played T20I cricket since the series against Afghanistan in January 2024, they have had two months of IPL 2024.
The likes of Rishabh Pant, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah are in supreme form and primed to light up the showpiece event. Pakistan’s preparations, by contrast, have been dented following a resounding 2-0 series loss to England last month. Nevertheless, India will be silly to take their arch-rivals lightly, given their unpredictable nature and the pitch conditions they play on 9th of June 2024.