(Credit ICC)
With the arrival of the T20 World Cup in the United States of America, all eyes turned to the newly-constructed facility in Nassau County. This venue, slated to host the highly-anticipated India vs Pakistan match, gained attention for its rapid construction within a mere 100 days, along with its utilization of drop-in pitches imported from Australia.
Despite the initial excitement surrounding the makeshift venue, criticisms have started to emerge from both fans and experts, particularly following Sri Lanka’s disappointing campaign opener against South Africa on Monday.
The match turned into a nightmare for the 2014 champions as they were bowled out for a mere 77 runs, marking their lowest total in T20Is. Anrich Nortje’s exceptional performance, claiming 4 wickets for just 7 runs, along with contributions from Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj, further highlighted the struggles of the Sri Lankan team. The Proteas, in turn, faced challenges during their chase of 78 runs, ultimately securing victory after 16.2 overs with a 6-wicket win.
Both captains, Wanindu Hasaranga and Aiden Markram, voiced their criticism of the pitch, with experts echoing their discontent on social media platforms, expressing disappointment with the conditions provided at the venue.
Aiden Markram: “It was a tough one from a batting point of view, we try as much as we can to take the pitch out of it, we can take some learnings from it and we are experienced. Lots of different conditions as we move around, fortunately, we have our next two here so we know what’s coming but it’s important to adapt as we go ahead.”
Wanindu Hasaranga: “To be honest this was a 120 wicket, especially with our bowlers. We went with our strength – our bowling, that’s why we batted first. We wanted to put a score and then defend. This is early in the tournament and we have three more games, we want to do much better, especially with our batting talent.”
