(Source X)
On August 20, the International Cricket Council (ICC) quietly published the pitch ratings for the 2024 T20 World Cup, which will be held in the USA and West Indies. The ratings appeared in a detailed spreadsheet on their official website, without any accompanying media announcement or social media promotion. The information was only accessible through the “pitch ratings” section on their site.
The ICC has previously provided pitch ratings ranging from ‘poor’ to ‘very good,’ but this time, the release went largely unnoticed. The ratings were published 52 days after the final match between India and South Africa on June 29. The only prior communication from the ICC about the pitches was on June 6, the day after a low-scoring game between India and Ireland.
“The pitches used so far at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium have not played as consistently as we would have all wanted. The world-class grounds team have been working hard since the conclusion of yesterday’s game to remedy the situation and deliver the best possible surfaces for the remaining matches,” read an ICC statement
The match against Ireland drew significant criticism due to concerns about the outfield and pitch conditions, with former cricketers labeling them as “bordering on dangerous.” The heavy outfield, noted by the India camp, was scrutinized, yet the ICC’s ratings have classified it as “satisfactory.”
In New York, only the pitches for the matches between India and Ireland and Sri Lanka and South Africa received “unsatisfactory” ratings, while the rest of the games at the venue were rated as “satisfactory.”
Remarkably, the outfield ratings improved from “satisfactory” to “very good” for the last two matches played there—South Africa vs Bangladesh and Pakistan vs Canada. These games followed the India vs Pakistan match, which had a “satisfactory” outfield rating.
Despite widespread criticism from former cricketers and current coaches about the conditions in New York, the match referees seemed lenient, resulting in most games at the modular venue receiving a “satisfactory” rating. The outfield, too, left a more favorable impression in the final assessments.
“These ratings are a joke. Especially the very good rating of the New York outfield. Just a comparison that the Ahmedabad final outfield got a very good rating from the ICC. They mean to say that the quality of both Ahmedabad and New York outfields was the same. It’s very funny,” says a source tracking developments.
Since the USA segment of the T20 World Cup, several ICC members have raised concerns about the event’s execution. In response, a comprehensive review has been planned, led by directors Roger Twose, Lawson Naidoo, and Imran Khwaja. Efforts are now being made to manage the narrative surrounding the 2024 T20 World Cup, with the discreet release of the pitch and outfield ratings being one such example.
“Lot of senior ICC officials are on their way out, lot of changes on the cards. So everyone, while leaving, wants to control the narrative and minimise the potential damage,” adds the source.
