'Horrific' and 'ugly' - World Cup semi-final pitch criticised

27 June 2024 02:01 pm Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 6 Bookmark

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Test Match Special pundits Steven Finn and Alex Hartley criticised the "awful" pitch used for the T20 World Cup semi-final between South Africa and Afghanistan in Trinidad.

Afghanistan were bowled out for 56 - the lowest score in a T20 World Cup semi-final - when batting first at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.

South Africa chased it down in 8.5 overs for the loss of just one wicket but only after numerous uncomfortable moments for their batters on a pitch with extremely inconsistent bounce.

"It was ugly really," former England seamer Finn said on TMS. "The pitch just deteriorated and it led to not a great spectacle for a T20 game.

"It would have been fascinating on day five of a Test match but for a T20, it wasn't up to scratch."

England World Cup winner Hartley added: "You want an even contest. What this pitch has done is take batting completely out of the game.

"It's an actual shambles."

Playing in their first World Cup semi-final, Afghanistan fell to their lowest T20 total on a surface summed up by one over from Azmatullah Omarzai that ended with two balls that scuttled through at ankle height followed by one that reared up from a length.

Cricviz data also showed there was a significant amount of lateral movement for the fast bowlers, with the average of 0.88° off the seam ranked fourth across all games in the tournament so far. The venue itself, across the competition, is ranked number one for swing and seam offered to pace bowlers, and second for turn for the spinners.

"There is definitely going to be talk about the pitch because it is the worst we've seen at this World Cup," Hartley added.

"I don't mind seeing 130 play 130, both sides are then in the game with bat and ball. But this has been horrific."

Speaking during the South Africa innings, Finn added: "We've not seen a South Africa batter play a shot with any certainty about where the ball is going to come through.

"That makes it a very uneven contest. Fascinating but uneven."

Commentator Geoff Lemon suggested that the pitch was such that a longer format match might have been called off. (BBC)

Comments - 6

We faced a worse fresh pitch. Thursday, 27 June 2024 03:52 PM

Why have you woken up now? What about the pitch in NY we faced, damned fresh pitch? Why all these guys then were silent?

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Nimal Thursday, 27 June 2024 05:44 PM

When a tournament have too many high score games (like this year IPL), there is No issue at all. South Africa lost only one wicket to get Afghan's total in the same pitch yesterday. Afghan's strength is at bowling, not at batting.

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A Silly Point Thursday, 27 June 2024 08:59 PM

In a match both winner and the loser play on the same pitch. The loser complains about the pitch and the winner does not.

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Sambo Friday, 28 June 2024 07:22 AM

The total tournament was a total disaster. ICC were sleeping as if nothing had happened. What's happening to cricket. Money is the main disaster and India's involvement in the ICC.

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Terrence K Friday, 28 June 2024 10:52 AM

Whilst the Pundits in cricket who are acclimatised to playing on different pitches have in no uncertain terms criticized the pitches that they are not suitable for batters and the strengths of the Afghanistan team lies on their batters, whilst our local arm chair pundits try to justify that the opposing side too had the same pitch. Unless we are able to understand the Afghanistan team who outsmarted some of the teams which were held in high esteem by perseverance and reach the semi final stage that in itself is a great achievement. So a right minded person do you think that this team will complain to gain sympathy from the lovers of cricket, far from it. This is a genuine complain which needs the ICC to select venues where there are no deficiences otherwise the demoralization effect on the up and coming teams!!!!!!

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cricket fan Saturday, 29 June 2024 10:56 AM

As pointed out by former Indian test cricketer and current cricket commentator cum cricket writer Sanjay Manjrekar the whole tournament had the hallmarks of a T20 cricket world cup victory tailor made for the Indian Cricket team. The cricket governing body the ICC is now a corrupt organisation and money seems to do all the talking. It is imperative a decision is made about the future of the organisarion before it hits rock bottom.

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