Pakistan coach Gary Kirsten defended the field following his team’s low-scoring defeat to India at the T20 Cricket World Cup venue in New York on Sunday.
India were bowled out for 119, the lowest score they had recorded against Pakistan in a T20 match, but won by six wickets as their rivals fell just short.
All five matches, played at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, which features a “drop-in” square installed a month before the tournament, were low-scoring affairs.
There has been criticism of the surface after India’s win over Ireland last week, with former Zimbabwean and England coach Andy Flower calling it “dangerous” because of uneven bounce.
But Sunday’s wicket, while difficult to score on, featured only the occasional “popping” ball off the length, which Kirsten said made for an entertaining match.
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“I don’t think it was dangerous. It flew off every now and then, but not a lot. Overall it stayed a little low, it was hard to score off both batters and the outfield was slow, so the runs weren’t big,” Kirsten said.
“I would have said 140 was a really good score on that pitch and India didn’t get it so I thought we won the match,” the South African added.
Kirsten said boundaries were important, a rarity in the big-hitting T20 format, but that just made for a different kind of match.
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“I knew it would be a close match but it’s fun to watch these matches sometimes. It’s not just about going for six and getting 260 or 240 all the time. Even if you’re chasing 120 it can be a really interesting match. So, I don’t think it’s bad for the match,” he said.
Following complaints last week, the International Cricket Council (ICC) admitted that the wicket in the opening match at the venue was not up to standard.
“T20 Inc and the ICC recognise that the pitch that has been used to date at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium has not performed as consistently as we would all have hoped,” the ICC said in a statement.
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“Our world-class ground team have been working hard since the completion of yesterday’s match to improve the situation and provide the best possible ground for the remaining matches,” it added.
Three more matches are scheduled to be played at the venue, with the final match between India and co-hosts USA on Wednesday.
Critical/RCW
