The United States leg of the T20 World Cup 2024 was a complete nightmare for the teams participating. Apart from playing on a two-paced pitch with uneven bounce, the teams also had to deal with logistical issues.

But former India head coach Rahul Dravid defended the US leg of the event on Sunday (July 28), saying that “playing at odd hours” and coping with “challenging” facilities were “compromises” necessary to bring cricket to a wider audience.

Considering the huge effort required to organise the tournament in the region, Dravid said the games in New York, Florida and Texas starting at 10.30am local time and the infrastructure used were suitable for him.

Defending champions India played their three group stage matches against Ireland, Pakistan and hosts USA in New York, while the final match against Canada in Florida was cancelled due to bad weather conditions.

“Yes, it is challenging in terms of facilities. But if you want to grow the sport and make it a global game, you have to be there and make concessions, even if that means playing at odd hours in conditions that may not be perfect,” Speaking at the panel on ‘Cricket in the Olympics: Dawn of a New Era’, Dravid celebrated the inclusion of the sport in the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

Under Dravid’s guidance, India won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title after 17 years. The Men in Blue remained unbeaten throughout the tournament and lifted the coveted trophy by defeating South Africa in the final in Barbados.

The USA’s hosting of this important event alongside the West Indies was seen as a step towards building a fan base in the region ahead of the Los Angeles Olympics.

However, in order to appeal to the large audience in the subcontinent, all matches involving India were played at 10.30 am, which led to some criticism as it was felt that local Americans were not being taken into consideration.

Sharing his views on the same issue, Dravid said: “To be honest, I don’t think starting at 10:30 in the morning was a problem for me. We are in the entertainment business that caters to people who want to watch sports. It was absolutely no problem for me.”

The 51-year-old player stated that starting the match early provided “equality” for both teams.

“As a coach, the conditions were pretty even because dew is a factor in a lot of day-night games. The draw can be a big factor, as we saw in Australia. But for 10:30 it was fine; it was even for both teams. From a coaching standpoint, I didn’t mind the 10:30 game,” said.

Dravid, accompanied by ICC CEO Geoff Allardice during the meeting, praised the apex body for its bold move to move the World Cup to the United States.

“It was a huge effort for the ICC to bring the game to the US and introduce it to that audience. There’s a huge passion for the game in the US. It was really nice to play in the US; some of the games were packed,” said.

(With PTI Entries)