Ponting expects smaller totals at World Cup

Having been “spoiled” by a glut of record-breaking 200-plus totals in the IPL 2024, teams and batters will need to “lower expectations” in the T20 World Cup 2024.

This advice comes from former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who feels that pitches in the West Indies – co-hosting the 20-team World Cup with the USA – are likely to “slow down” towards the latter half when the Super Eights and knockout matches will be played.

Ponting’s comments come days after Sri Lanka were bowled out for 77, their lowest T20I total, in their defeat to South Africa in New York. They were flattened by the South African pace battery, led by Anrich Nortje’s career-best 4 for 7. There were 127 dot balls in the entire match, the most at a men’s T20 World Cup game.

South Africa also survived a tense phase in the chase and took 16.4 overs to complete the six-wicket win. It was the first T20I at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, cricket’s first modular venue, and the first impressions were of it being not being T20-friendly.

But Nortje disagreed, saying “you don’t need 20 sixes” for an entertaining game. Heinrich Klaasen, who anchored the chase, felt batters needed a blend of Test and ODI skills “to get over the line” with the ball moving and bouncing inconsistently off a drop-in pitch.

Ponting, speaking to ESPNcricinfo on Tuesday, highlighted another contributing factor.

“Being a day game, the ball swung and seamed a little bit. So batsmen will have to keep that in mind, how they start their innings and maybe just lower expectations on scores. 240 was sort of a score that you were aiming to get in the IPL. It’s probably not going to be that for the first part of the tournament here in New York. So that sets a whole lot of different challenges.”

(cricinfo)