ICC opens up on drop-in pitches for T20 World Cup 2024
"Obviously, you want the players to be able to play shots all around the ground. So that's what we designed, I can't predict the scores," Damian Hough said.
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The ICC (International Cricket Council) is preparing drop-in pitches for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024. With many doubting the nature of the pitch at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York, the ICC came forward to dispel the various discussions over the same.
It is worth noting that the Indian team will be playing three league games at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, which will include a clash against arch-rivals Pakistan. Furthermore, there has been a perception that the pitches being prepared will be slow in nature.
The same can be supported by seeing the squad that the Indian team will take to the tournament. Featuring four specialist spinners: Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, and Yuzvendra Chahal. However, Damian Hough, who has prepared the pitch, talked about how the pitch is made keeping in mind the high scores being chased down in the IPL.
"Obviously, you want the players to be able to play shots all around the ground. So that's what we designed, 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,” Damian Hough was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.
The climate in New York isn't conducive to growing pitches: Chris Tetley
Interestingly, ICC prepared 10 pitches at a turf farm in Florida, which have been shipped through the East Coast to New York and are being installed. Four of the 10 pitches will be used in games, whereas the remaining six will be used for practice at the training facility. The head of ICC events, Chris Tetley, took centre stage and talked about how the weather in New York would not have allowed a pitch to be prepared in the timeframe and that Florida was the perfect place for it.
Also Read: T20 World Cup: New York stadium construction in full swing for marquee India-Pakistan clash
"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 said.
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