Former Indian allrounder Irfan Pathan expressed disappointment with the wicket utilized in the 2024 T20 World Cup match between Sri Lanka and South Africa in the United States of America (USA). The ongoing tournament has seen batters grappling to gain momentum while bowlers have largely held sway over three of the first four games.
Except for the tournament’s opener between the United States and Canada, all of the games have been low-scoring contests.
In the fourth game between South Africa and Sri Lanka in New York, the Lankans were bowled out for 77 runs after choosing to bat first. Pacer Anrich Nortje claimed four wickets. The Proteas required 16.2 overs to attain their goal, losing four wickets in the process.
Irfan Pathan took to X after the game, stating that the circumstances were not perfect for T20 cricket. Irfan Pathan said:
“Not an ideal pitch for t20 cricket,” Irfan Pathan wrote.
Many supporters attacked the former Indian cricketer, claiming that the game was a fantastic match between bat and ball. One even said that people are addicted to watching high-scoring IPL games.
Here’s some reactions:
A number cricket fans also agreed with Irfan Pathan, adding that the ICC should be held accountable for not inspecting the wickets.
“Right on the money!!! These are conditions where 100 is a par score! Also, ICC should be accountable as they have enough resources to monitor/incubate US grounds for quality Cricket!” a fan wrote.
Another fan reckoned that such wickets will harm T20 cricket, saying:
“This World Cup in the USA and West Indies will be affected by poor outfield and questionable pitches. It will do more harm than favor for the World Cricket… Keeping the World Cup in the USA may backfire !!!”
“Windies & US are not ideal place to host WC, they constructed the stadium just few weeks before the tournament, ground & pitch is not match ready,” another fan chimed in.
“Fortunately we have our next two here so we know what’s coming” – Aiden Markram on the New York wicket
South African captain Aiden Markram claimed after his team’s victory over Sri Lanka that the wicket was difficult for batters. However, he was pleased that the Proteas will play their next two games at this location. He said:
“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.”
Aiden Markram