Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen says the surface at the Nassau International County Stadium in New York has to be improved ahead of the India-Pakistan 2024 T20 World Cup match on Sunday, June 9. Kevin Pietersen took to X and cautioned the players about fielding on the surface in New York.
Several fans and analysts have voiced worries about the outfield during Monday’s low-scoring match between Sri Lanka and South Africa. The stadium also hosted India’s warm-up match against Bangladesh, with the former’s coach Rahul Dravid mentioning the soft and spongy outfield as a potential source of player injuries.
Kevin Pietersen addressed X and wrote:
“Hmmmm, that wicket in NYC needs some attention before the big game. I’d also suggest having seen a few players that tried to slide and jarred their knees, that all players exercise caution. I’m sure everyone is working extremely hard to make sure it’s perfect for IND vs PAK!”
Kevin Pietersen
The Proteas’ spectacular bowling effort limited Sri Lanka to 77 runs, the island nation’s lowest score in T20I cricket. However, the South African hitters also struggled to achieve the goal, taking more than 15 overs to do so.
Team India potentially start as favorites against Pakistan in New York
With the Men in Blue enjoying a commanding 71 lead over Pakistan in T20 World Cups they are anticipated to kick off Sundays highlyanticipated battle as the favorites. Although Rohit Sharma and his team have been absent from T20I cricket since the series against Afghanistan in January 2024 they have utilized the past two months competing in IPL 2024 to finetune their skills.
Rishabh Pant, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah are in top form and ready to light up the showcase event. In contrast, Pakistan’s preparations have been hampered by a stunning 2-0 series loss to England last month. Nonetheless, considering the unpredictable character of their archrivals, India would be foolish to underestimate them.