The former Team India head coach Rahul Dravid has come out in support of the US leg of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup by saying that it is necessary to make compromises "if you want to grow the sport and make it a global game".
Notably, the US leg of the tournament copped a lot of flak due to the drop-in pitches laid out at the Nassau County Cricket Stadium. In addition to that, the players also had to compromise on the facilities which were made available to them.
Dravid also commented on the timing of the matches which were organized in New York at 10:30 am local time. He mentioned that "playing at odd hours in conditions that might not necessarily be perfect" is the need of the hour to take the sport to the next level.
"Yes, in terms of facilities, it's challenging. But if you want to grow the sport and make it a global game, then you have to be at events like this and make compromises, even if it means playing at odd hours in conditions that might not necessarily be perfect," Dravid said in a panel discussion on 'Cricket at the Olympics: Dawn of a New Era', as reported by PTI.
"I don't think starting at 10:30am was a problem for me, honestly. We are in the entertainment business, which caters to people who want to watch the sport. I had absolutely no problem with it," Dravid said.
"As a coach, the conditions were quite even because dew becomes a factor in a lot of day-night games. The toss can become a big factor, as we saw in Australia. But for 10:30, it was not a problem; it was even-steven for both teams. From a coaching perspective, I didn't mind the 10:30 game," he said.
It is understood that the ICC was bound to host the T20 World Cup in the USA to garner eyeballs ahead of the introduction of the sport at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
