Daren Sammy on the Nassau County field for the T20 World Cup 2024: “It was challenging for all the batters out there.”

Many cricket experts and spectators worldwide expressed their disapproval of the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York after multiple low-scoring games and batsmen being hit on their arms because of the inconsistent bounce. One may argue that it is incredible that not a single player was hurt during the eight games that were played in the current T20 World Cup.

Head coach Daren Sammy joked that he personally wouldn’t like playing a game in New York, considering the difficulties it offers for batters, on the day of the West Indies’ Super Eights match against the USA. Nonetheless, he stressed that in his opinion, cricket’s reach and exposure had expanded successfully in the USA. Sammy believes that having the USA play in the Super Eights will increase the game’s appeal and draw in more fans from that region.

“To be honest with you, after seeing the pitch in the US, I would never want to play a game in New York (laughs). For every batter out there, it was difficult. However, when you take a broader view, the whole point of the US and the Caribbean sharing hosting was to raise the bar, and what I observed in the US was positive. “Undoubtedly, the fact that the USA is in the Super 8s will expand the game and attract new fans from a different area,” Sammy said in a media conference, as reported by India Today.

Our destiny is in our own hands: Daren Sammy

After the two-time World Cup winner England easily defeated the West Indies in their opening Super Eights match, the captain said that although their main goal was to use tactics they had practiced over the previous year for this competition, they faced tough competition from teams with strong rosters. The T20 World Cup champions, who were better than the West Indies, were the opponents of their most recent encounter. Sammy asserted that their destiny was still in their hands, stressing that this did not in any way signal that their tournament was over.

“Our primary goal, all we’ve done since the previous year to get ready for this competition—nobody said it would be simple. We faced off against the reigning champs and they prevailed over us in this competition, which has some excellent teams. That being said, our tournament is still ongoing. We are responsible for our own fate,” Sammy continued.