Tom Moody and Andy Flower evaluate the “dangerous” Tarouba pitch, saying they “want a fair contest between bat and ball.”

The pitch in Trinidad for the 2024 T20 World Cup semifinal match between Afghanistan and South Africa has drawn scrutiny. The pitch’s inconsistent bounce caused the batters a great deal of difficulties. As South Africa’s bowlers exploited the pitch and applied pressure to the team captained by Rashid Khan, Afghanistan was bowled out for a mere 56 runs when they were batting first.

Former Australian cricket player Tom Moody is furious about the unfair duel between bat and bowl. He pointed out that when everything is working against the hitters, they shouldn’t be faced with a pitch like that. Adding that teams scoring 200 points or more in every game is also not ideal, he felt that the first semi-final lacked balance.

“You want a bat-and-ball match that is fair, and I’m not saying that we have to create fields where 200+ runs are required. However, the most crucial component is that you need a constant bounce. That is the most crucial thing, any batter would say, raising their hands. It may be quite challenging to overcome a situation where one ball is hitting the toe of your bat or one that you feel like you’re going to punch with your gloves at the same length, Moody told ESPNcricinfo.

Andy Flower demonstrates the challenges batters faced.

Former Zimbabwean cricketer Andy Flower emphasised the challenges the Trinidadian hitters faced. The batters were disturbed by the uneven bounce, he noted. Flower also emphasised how the surface appeared hazardous because the balls were flying into the batters’ faces, necks, and chins, potentially inflicting damage.

As a batter, your job is to guess where the ball will land. At minimum, you should meet it in the middle of the bat. Furthermore, it was nearly impossible to accomplish that consistently on this pitch. It actually seemed a little bit hazardous to me. A few balls veered off course, striking the South African quicks in the shoulder, neck, and chin, with one even clearing Quinton de Kock’s head and gloves, resulting in four wickets. Flower expressed her satisfaction that nobody was harmed.