Rahul DravidFormer head coach of the Indian cricket team and legendary batsman, has defended the ICC’s decision to host the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 matches in the US despite strong criticism about the playing fields and the distance of the New York stadium from the team hotels and the schedules.
Responding to criticism over the early start of matches and suboptimal facilities used in New York, Florida and Texas, Dravid stressed that these adjustments were necessary to expand cricket’s global footprint.
Rahul Dravid defends US participation in 2024 T20 World Cup amid criticism over pitches and timings
Dravid, who guided India to their first ICC title in more than a decade by winning the 2024 T20 World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States and West Indies, admitted that the early starts at 10:30 am, infrastructure and conditions of the venues were not ideal but said such compromises were necessary to introduce cricket to new audiences and build a fan base in the US.
In fact, the decision to schedule the 2024 T20 World Cup matches at 10:30 am local time was partly to attract the massive audience in the subcontinent, where cricket enjoys immense popularity.
However, this decision drew criticism as many felt that American fans were not much attracted due to the timings, but Dravid stressed that they had to strike a balance between global reach and local preferences.
Well, Dravid said that hosting the event in the US was a significant milestone. It is noteworthy that the inclusion of the US as the host of the recent 2024 T20 World Cup was seen as a strategic move to promote the game in this region as cricket was included in the 2018 Los Angeles Olympics.
I didn’t mind the 10:30 match: Rahul Dravid
Rahul Dravid said at a panel discussion on ‘Cricket at the Olympics: Dawn of a New Era’ in Paris: “Yes, in terms of facilities, it is a challenge. But if you want the sport to grow and become a global sport, then you have to be at events like this and make concessions, even if that means playing at unusual times in conditions that may not necessarily be perfect. I don’t think starting at 10:30 a.m. was a problem for me, honestly. We’re in the entertainment business, catering to people who want to watch the sport. I didn’t have a problem with that at all.”
The 2024 T20 World Cup-winning coach added: “As a coach, the conditions were fairly even because dew becomes a factor in many day-night matches. The toss can become a big factor, as we saw in Australia. But by 10:30, it wasn’t an issue; it was a close game for both teams. From a coach’s perspective, I didn’t mind the 10:30 game.”
Lastly, Dravid praised the ICC for its great efforts in bringing the game to the US and exposing it to the public. He added that there is a huge passion for the game in the US and it was very enjoyable to play there, even though some matches were packed.