The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has lodged an unofficial complaint to the International Cricket Council (ICC) over the New York pitch ahead of the match against Pakistan on June 9. This comes after India captain Rohit Sharma copped a blow on his thumb while facing throwdown specialist Nuwan in the nets. Rohit had also suffered a sore arm and was forced to retire hurt during the match against Ireland on Wednesday. He was hit on the biceps by a delivery from Ireland pacer Joshua Little.
Rohit, however, wasn't the only one who was troubled in the nets due to the awkward bounce off the track at the practice venue. According to journalist Abhishek Tripathi, even star batter Virat Kohli faced difficulties while batting in the nets. Kohli, however, did not incur any injuries.
Heading into this high-profile contest, the 22-yard pitch remains a major talking point, having already faced significant criticism for its unpredictability, which the ICC has officially acknowledged.
In the six innings of the three matches hosted at the stadium so far, teams have surpassed the 100-run mark only twice. Some former players have wondered aloud whether the low-scoring conditions would be of any help in selling cricket to the American market through the showpiece.
The four drop-in pitches at the venue, laid in April under the supervision of Adelaide Oval groundsman Damian Hough, are yet to settle down properly.
The uneven bounce of the surface has also raised safety concerns for the batters, especially after Indian skipper Rohit Sharma was hit on his shoulder, forcing him to stop batting during the tournament-opener against Ireland on June 5.
"I don't know what to expect from the pitch to be honest. We will prepare as if the conditions are going to be like this (for Pakistan game). This is going to be a kind of game where all XI of us will need to contribute," Rohit had said after the game against Ireland.
A day after India's game, the ICC had to release a statement, addressing the growing concerns surrounding the pitches prepared for the New York-leg of this T20 World Cup.
"The ICC recognise that the pitches used so far at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium have not played as consistently as we would have all wanted," the statement read.
The Pakistan team, however, is yet to acclimatise to the conditions at Nassau Stadium.
They arrived in New York on Thursday night following their shocking defeat to tournament debutants USA and took the next day off.