The highly anticipated T20 World Cup 2024 encounter between India and Pakistan is set to take place at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on June 9. However, preparations for this marquee match are facing challenges, as recent videos have highlighted the dismal state of the venue.

The Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, with a capacity for 34,000 spectators, is designated to host three matches for the Indian team during the group A stage of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

Providing insights into the venue, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has disclosed information about the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium. The organization mentioned that the cricketing turf and arena, recently installed, constitute a pioneering modular stadium, showcasing a first-of-its-kind design.

“The stadium will feature an array of seating options including premium and general admission, VIP and hospitality suites, as well as a unique party deck and cabanas. Sustainability is at the forefront of this project. The grandstands, previously used for the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, are being repurposed for the T20 World Cup venue,” read a post on ICC’s official handle on X.

According to Chris Tetley, who serves as the head of events at the ICC, the testing phase for the upcoming T20 World Cup is scheduled to commence in the week of May 13. This phase will incorporate warm-up matches, offering organizers valuable insights into the condition of the stadium before the official World Cup matches kick off on June 3.

“There will be warm-up matches played at the facility (New York) so that we know from a cricket perspective how the venue runs. Also, importantly, we will know from an operational perspective how all of the functional teams that will come together to run the stadium need to interact on an event day with people coming through the turnstiles,” Tetley was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.

“Part of that is understanding how do people come through the turnstiles and where they go, how they use the venue, where they walk? Because that will then help us refine plans on spectator flows and where we need additional signage, where people get confused, where do they congregate?” Tetley added.

Adelaide Oval Turf Solutions, led by Damian Hough, the head groundsperson at Adelaide Oval, is currently in the process of creating a set of drop-in pitches in Florida. Simultaneously, the outfield is under development by LandTek Group, renowned for its work on playing fields for notable sports teams such as the New York Yankees, New York Mets, and Inter Miami CF.

The design of this project is attributed to Populous, a renowned design team recognized for its contribution to some of the world’s most iconic stadiums. Notable projects include the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, known as the world’s largest cricket stadium, and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

“In addition to testing events that give us a lot of reassurance is the quality of the people involved and the quality of the work that they do day in, day out: from Damian (Hough) on the pitches and the number of pitches he’s building, which gives us a bit of flex in case one of the pitches doesn’t go as well as we want, we can shift around so that we’re not reliant on you know, a no latency solution there.

LandTek is working hand in glove with Damian on all of the agronomy aspects of the facility. From a cricket perspective, they are the ones that we are most keenly interested in ensuring over the right quality because that’s fundamental,” Tetley added.