Vaughan Slams 'Sub-Standard' Pitch in New York for T20 World Cup

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has criticized the pitch at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York, calling it a "sub-standard surface" after India's dominant performance against Ireland in the T20 World Cup.

On a pitch that offered excessive bounce and seam movement, India's pace attack, led by Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, and Arshdeep Singh, bundled out Ireland for a paltry 96. Vaughan expressed his disapproval on Twitter, stating that it was unacceptable for players to have to play on such a poor surface after working hard to qualify for the World Cup.

Vaughan's criticism was echoed by former India opener Wasim Jaffer, who sarcastically suggested that the pitch was designed to introduce American audiences to Test cricket disguised as T20.

The drop-in deck at the venue has been heavily criticized for favoring the pacers, as evidenced by South Africa's demolition of Sri Lanka for 77 in their previous match. Anrich Nortje's four-wicket haul for just seven runs in that match highlighted the excessive assistance the pitch provided to the bowlers.

India will play their next two matches at the same venue, against Pakistan on June 9 and against co-hosts USA on June 12. The team's quartet of fast bowlers, who were in menacing form against Ireland, will be hoping for a more balanced surface in those matches.

Despite the criticism of the pitch, India's performance was impressive. Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, and Hardik Pandya combined to restrict Ireland to a low total, with only Gareth Delany managing to reach 26 runs.

Tags: #T20WorldCup, #India, #Ireland, #MichaelVaughan, #WasimJaffer