(AFP Photo)
As the T20 World Cup 2024 nears its conclusion with India and South Africa gearing up for the final in Barbados, former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has strongly criticized the ICC for the poor quality of pitches provided throughout the tournament.
During a podcast for ESPNCricinfo, Manjrekar expressed his disappointment with the pitches used in the 2024 T20 World Cup, describing them as overly bowler-friendly and in some cases, dangerously unfit. The ICC had highlighted the use of drop-in pitches from Australia brought to the United States as part of their promotional efforts for the event. They acknowledged the subpar quality in a statement and assured that groundsmen were working to address the issue.
Manjrekar particularly highlighted the pitch conditions during South Africa’s semi-final against Afghanistan, labeling the state of the pitch in the second innings when South Africa batted as ’embarrassing’.
“I think that the ICC owes an apology to fans, and channel partners for the kind of pitch that was provided. Because that is one of the easier controllable, you know getting a pitch right”.
Conditions in the USA deteriorated significantly, leading even top-tier teams to struggle to score just above 100 runs due to the challenging and uneven playing conditions.
During India’s semi-final against England, the spotlight was on the Indian spinners, Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel, who each took three wickets. The match highlighted numerous deliveries that kept unusually low, presenting a challenge that the English batsmen found difficult to handle.
“We had a couple of balls that were shooting along the ground, so this is also not the ideal kind of surface. So disappointed,” Manjrekar added.
The eagerly anticipated final between India and South Africa will be held at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on June 29th. Fans and experts alike are optimistic that the conditions will offer a balanced playing field, conducive to both batting and bowling skills.
