Rating of New York and Tarouba Pitches by ICC

The pitches used for the first two matches at New York's Nassau County Stadium, a temporary modular venue, and for the semi-final between Afghanistan and South Africa at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba during the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup have been rated “unsatisfactory” by the ICC.

This assessment comes nearly two months after the tournament, which saw India lift the trophy by defeating South Africa in the final.

In New York, Sri Lanka were bowled out for just 77 against South Africa, and two days later, India dismissed Ireland for 96. The India-Ireland match saw several players suffer body blows due to uneven bounce. Rohit Sharma had to retire hurt after being struck on the arm by Josh Little, while Rishabh Pant and Ireland’s Harry Tector also took hits from unpredictable deliveries.

Andy Flower, former Zimbabwe captain, described the New York pitch as "bordering on dangerous," while former England captain Michael Vaughan labelled it "shocking." The modular venue had been constructed in just five months, with Adelaide Oval chief curator Damian Hough brought in by the ICC to prepare drop-in pitches. However, the compressed schedule—New York hosted eight games in two weeks—led to criticism over the quality of the surfaces.

In response, the ICC made adjustments, including covering areas with grass growth under the cracks with topsoil and rolling them to create a flatter surface. The later pitches, including the one used for the India vs Pakistan match (where India won by six runs after defending 119), were rated “satisfactory.”

The pitch at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy for the semi-final, where Afghanistan were bowled out for 56, also drew significant criticism. Some deliveries barely bounced, while others leapt unexpectedly from the same spot. Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott openly stated that the surface was unfit for a semi-final. The pitches at this venue were generally challenging, with even West Indies struggling at 30 for 5 before narrowly defending a total of 149 against New Zealand.

The ICC rates pitches and outfields for all international games on a scale ranging from very good to unfit: very good, good, satisfactory, unsatisfactory, and unfit. The Providence pitch for the India vs England semi-final was rated “satisfactory,” while the Kensington Oval surface for the final was rated “very good.” The outfields were largely satisfactory, with New York and Guyana receiving that rating, while other venues were rated as “very good.”