Drop-in pitch for India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup 2024 match: All you need to know

Fans are eagerly waiting to witness the India versus Pakistan blockbuster clash in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in the US on June 9. Along with players on both sides, the wicket – a drop-in pitch, will also be under the spotlight in New York on that big day.

The Nassau County International Cricket Stadium will be the venue for the India versus Pakistan contest and it is the first-ever modular cricket stadium. It has a capacity of 34,000, and the work on the project in Eisenhower Park, Nassau County, 48 kilometres east of Manhattan, started in January.

Though a world first for cricket, modular stadiums are used regularly in other sports, including Formula 1, Golf, and the Olympic Games providing fans with every facility they would expect at a global sporting event.

For the T20 World Cup, drop-in pitches prepared in Australia were transported to the US.

Earlier this month, on May 1, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced that drop-in pitches arrived at the stadium in New York, which will host eight T20 World Cup matches with India playing three.

What is a drop-in pitch?

A drop-in pitch is prepared somewhere else from the actual stadium and ‘dropped’ in just months or days before the matches. The concept of drop-in pitches began in Australia and mostly used at multi-purpose venues that host not only cricket but other sports as well.

Drop-in pitches have been used at the Adelaide Oval, Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Australia and other stadiums in New Zealand including Eden Park in Auckland.

It was in 2003 that a drop-in pitch was used for the first time in a Test match, at Marrara Stadium (TIO Stadium) in Darwin as Australia hosted Bangladesh.

Such pitches were used for the first time during the Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket in the 1970s.

Why drop-in pitches are used for T20 World Cup 2024

According to the ICC, it has to opt for drop-in pitches since the climate in New York was not ideal to prepare traditional wickets within the timeframe for the T20 World Cup.

“Obviously, we’ve had to use drop-in pitches because the climate in New York isn't conducive to growing pitches within the timeframe we needed. You know, the harsh winter there wouldn't have enabled pitches to be prepared. But in Florida, as we’ve seen, the conditions have been outstanding and perfect for the project that we've undertaken,” ICC Head of Events Chris Tetley was quoted as saying in Cricbuzz.

Ten drop-in pitches have been prepared in Florida since late December, employing proprietary techniques honed over a decade at Adelaide Oval. The development of the pitches has been undertaken by Adelaide Oval Turf Solutions, led by renowned Adelaide Oval Head Curator Damian Hough.

The pitches, cultivated with native Tahoma 31 Bermuda grass, have been meticulously nurtured in Florida by Adelaide Oval Turf Solutions and US-based sports turf experts LandTek Group, undergoing continuous care and maintenance over the past three months.

Four pitches will be set up at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, with an additional six designated for neighbouring practice facilities. The Adelaide Oval Turf Solutions (AOTS) team will remain in New York to assist local grounds crews in pitch maintenance throughout the World Cup to ensure world-class pitches that will set the stage for unforgettable cricket.

The drop-in square has been curated in Florida and transported by road to New York via a convoy of more than 20 semi-trailer trucks.

“The reason the pitches are being grown in Florida (and not New York) is that it’s the warmest part of the USA during winter. New York is regularly freezing, and grass doesn’t grow at that time of the year, so we couldn’t possibly build them there given the time frame and had to find the best climate,” Hough was quoted as saying by Cricket Australia’s website.

‘Unprecedented in international cricket’

Tetley termed the installation of drop-in pitches in New York as “unprecedented”.

Tetley said, “The installation of these pitches is one of the final pieces in a project that is unprecedented in international cricket. We have taken a considered and well-planned approach to this project, using the very best in the business in Damian Hough to ensure we have the best possible playing surface for eight World Cup matches in New York.

“T20 as a format was an innovation in its time to bring the sport of cricket to a new and expanded audience. This innovative strategy, to bring the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 to the United States, with a temporary venue and a pitch that has its founding on the other side of the globe, is truly groundbreaking and I can’t wait to see the world’s best compete in Nassau County this June.”

How will drop-in pitches behave?

On how the drop-in pitches will be in New York, Hough said, “We hope we have got a good T20 pitch, that has good pace, good bounce and (provides) value for shots. You want the batters to be able to play shots all over the ground so that is our design and at the start our ambition was to produce pitches along those lines.”

Hough said he and his team are working to ensure “highest quality” pitches for the T20 World Cup.

“We are excited to see the arrival of the pitches here in New York. Florida proved to be the ideal nursery for the pitches with good weather, and working alongside great partners like LandTek has been fantastic and everything is coming together as it should.

“We’re now focused on bedding in the pitches here in New York to ensure we’re delivering an end product of the highest quality. The games in New York are a great platform for us to showcase our abilities to a global audience. It’s certainly a massive thrill for everyone at Adelaide Oval to be involved in such a huge event,” he added.