Former England captain Michael Vaughan criticised the pitch at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, calling it "sub-standard" after India's bowlers dismissed Ireland for a mere 96 runs in their T20 World Cup match. Vaughan expressed his concerns on social media, highlighting the challenge of playing on such a surface during a major international tournament.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan criticised the pitch at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, labelling it a "sub-standard surface" during the T20 World Cup match between India and Ireland.
Trying to sell the game in the states is great .. love it .. but for players to have to play on this sub standard surface in New York is unacceptable .. You work so hard to make it to the WC then have to play on this ..
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan)The pitch, characterised by excessive bounce and seam movement, saw Indian bowlers, led by Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, and Arshdeep Singh, dismiss Ireland for a mere 96 runs.
"Promoting the game in the states is fantastic, but playing on this sub-standard surface in New York is unacceptable... You work so hard to reach the World Cup, then have to play on this," Vaughan expressed on his X handle.
This match marked the second consecutive instance in New York where a team was bowled out for under 100 runs. On June 3, South Africa had dismissed Sri Lanka for 77, securing a six-wicket victory.
The drop-in pitch at the venue has notably favored the pace bowlers, with South Africa’s Anrich Nortje claiming four wickets for just seven runs from his full four-over quota against Sri Lanka.
India is scheduled to play their next two matches at this venue – against Pakistan on June 9 and against co-hosts USA on June 12.