Here are the ICC’s ratings for all 52 pitches in T20 World Cup 2024

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has released its official pitch ratings for the T20 World Cup 2024, which was held across the United States of America (USA) and the West Indies. The ratings, which were eagerly awaited by fans and experts alike, have sparked renewed debate over the quality of the playing surfaces used during the tournament, which concluded over a month ago.

Pitch ratings overview: A mixed bag

The ICC assessed a total of 52 completed matches, with the pitch ratings revealing a mix of satisfactory and concerning results. Out of these, 31 pitches were rated ‘satisfactory,’ while 18 were praised with a ‘very good’ rating. However, the report also highlighted serious issues with three specific pitches, all of which received ‘unsatisfactory’ ratings.

For instance, the Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas and Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua consistently received “Very Good” ratings for their pitches, reflecting excellent playing conditions. In contrast, Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York faced challenges, with some matches rated as “Unsatisfactory,” indicating suboptimal pitch conditions. The overall pitch quality varied significantly across the 2024 T20 World Cup, with certain venues providing a superior playing surface compared to others.

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Unsatisfactory pitches: A cause for concern

The most concerning ratings were attributed to pitches at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York and the Brian Lara Cricket Stadium in Trinidad.

1. Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York: This makeshift venue hosted eight matches during the group stage, with two of these matches – South Africa vs Sri Lanka and India vs Ireland – receiving the lowest possible ratings. The surfaces were criticized for inconsistent bounce and excessive assistance to seam bowlers, leading to extremely low totals. Sri Lanka was bowled out for just 77 runs by South Africa, while Ireland managed only 96 runs against India. The ICC’s ‘unsatisfactory’ rating for these two matches underscores the difficulties faced by the batters on these pitches.
2. Brian Lara Cricket Stadium, Trinidad: The third pitch under scrutiny was the one used for the semi-final between Afghanistan and South Africa. In this crucial encounter, Afghanistan was dismissed for a mere 56 runs within 12 overs, their lowest T20I score and the lowest ever in a men’s T20 World Cup semi-final. The pitch’s performance during this match drew significant criticism, leading to its ‘unsatisfactory’ rating by the ICC.

Here’s a breakdown of ICC’s 52 pitch ratings for the T20 World Cup 2024:

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