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Xtra Time Web Desk: The Indian cricket team, under the guidance of head coach Rahul Dravid, expressed dissatisfaction with the practice facilities provided at Cantiague Park in New York, as part of their preparations for the T20 World Cup 2024. The practice venue, located approximately five miles from the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium—the main venue for their league matches—did not meet the team's expectations.

This issue came to light amid broader criticism of the New York pitch used during the match between Sri Lanka and South Africa, which drew negative attention for its quality. Dravid's comments specifically targeted the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding the inadequate practice facilities, adding to the growing concerns about the overall infrastructure and conditions provided for the tournament.

"It's a bit strange to be practicing in a park," said Dravid ahead of India's World Cup opener against Ireland. "Obviously at the World Cups you'd be in big stadiums or you'd be at cricket stadiums traditionally. But you know, we're at a public park and practicing," he added with a smile of sarcasm.

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The makeshift stadium in New York is set to host eight out of the total 16 matches for the US leg of the T20 World Cup 2024. Despite assurances from Damian Hough, the head curator of Adelaide Oval, that the drop-in pitches would be of the highest quality, the first international game at the venue saw disappointing results. In that match, only 157 runs were scored in 35.4 overs at a low run rate of 4.4, with Sri Lanka being bowled out for their lowest-ever T20I total of 77 runs. The pitch exhibited uneven bounce, and the outfield was in poor condition, leading to widespread criticism from pundits.

Indian head coach Rahul Dravid, aware of the issues highlighted during the Sri Lanka-South Africa match, expressed his hope that the conditions would improve as the tournament progressed. His concerns about the practice facilities and the playing conditions reflect broader worries about the adequacy of the infrastructure for such a significant event.

Read More: ICC T20 World Cup 2024: Virat Kohli’s intense batting ahead against Ireland match

"Yeah, obviously it's slightly different. It's obviously exciting that it's coming to a new country, it's coming to a new place. It feels slightly different in terms of, I guess, typically the buzz that you have around these events, with cricket not being one of the major sports in this country. So you don't feel that kind of buzz over here. But hopefully once our games start and a lot of the Indian fans do start coming in, you start seeing that similar kind of excitement.

"So things are certainly different from that perspective. But yeah, I think from a preparation perspective and from what we want to get out of it, I don't think that's changed, our preparation, our professionalism, the way we are trying to approach things. It's pretty, pretty similar to what we would normally do."