Former Indian head coach Rahul Dravid has opened up on the challenges of playing in New York in the T20 World Cup. It was reported that the facilities were not world-class at the venue but Dravid admitted that they will need to make compromises if they want to make cricket a global game.

Furthermore, the New York pitch was dropped in from Australia and it was a paradise for the bowlers. Many cricket boffins had said it was not ideal for the T20I format, where one expects fireworks from the bat.

“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’, celebrating the sport’s inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Games, in Paris.

“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.

Dravid admitted the conditions even though they were tricky, were similar for both teams.

“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.

After India’s stint, Dravid is reported to take over as Rajasthan Royals’ head coach in the IPL.