THE wicket at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy received a tongue-lashing as players, coaches and commentators described the surface as dangerous and inconsistent with one player saying he was glad his team does not have to play cricket at the venue again during the International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup.

From the time the match in Tarouba between South Africa and Afghanistan bowled off at 8.30 pm on June 26, it was evident that runs wouldn’t be flowing off the bat. Uneven bounce made batting challenging as the bowlers had a field day.

Speaking about the wicket, South Africa captain Aiden Markram said, “The wickets that we’ve had throughout the competition have been pretty challenging, tonight’s wicket was pretty challenging once again...(however) it can’t always be a batter’s game. If you would reflect back on this wicket, we would probably be pretty happy that we are not playing here again.”

He said battling at the wicket is key. “The wickets are the same for both teams on the night, so finding a way to win is the most important thing.”

Markram credited his bowlers for their performance as they bowled out Afghanistan for 56, which was aided by the wicket. “The pitch was obviously quite challenging as we saw, but like I said you still have to get the ball in the right areas. You give credit to your bowlers. They have used the conditions really well and managed to get us into a winning position.”

[caption id="attachment_1092854" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Afghanistan batsman Mohammed Nabi plays a shot against South Africa in the ICC T20 World Cup semifinal at the Brian Lara Cricket Aacademy, Tarouba, on June 26, 2024. - Lincoln Holder[/caption]

Markram said “adapting” is what cricketers must do when they move from venue to venue during their careers.

Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott was also frustrated with the wicket. “I don’t want to get myself into trouble and I don’t want to come across as bitter or sour grapes, but that is not the pitch you want to have a semifinal of a World Cup on – plain and simple,” Trott said.

“It should be a fair contest. I am not saying it should be flat completely with no spin and no seam movement, but I am saying you should not have batters worried about going forward and the ball going over their heads. You should be confident in their foot movement and being able to hit through the line or use their skills. T20 cricket is about attacking, scoring runs and taking wickets, not looking to survive.”

The commentators during the South Africa-Afghanistan match also spoke about the unsatisfactory wicket at Brian Lara Cricket Academy.

Following the match, former cricketers Tom Moody and Andy Flower shared their views on the wicket at Tarouba during an espncricinfo programme. Former Australian cricketer Moody said, “I don’t think you want to see it in any game to be honest with you. You want a fair contest between bat and ball...for one, you need consistent bounce.

“It will be something they (curators) will reflect on, if not reflecting on already and