The first guests took their seats at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York, where ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 Ambassador Usain Bolt joined cricket legends, Team USA and New York sports stars to usher in the first ever world cricket event.
Seeing the view from the best seats in the building for the first time marks the final countdown to the first ICC Men's T20 World Cup, to be held in New York on June 3rd, when 2014 champions Sri Lanka take on South Africa. It has officially begun.
Bolt will be joined by US cricketers Corey Anderson and Monank Patel, as well as West Indies legend Sir Curtly Ambrose, 2009 T20 World Cup winner Shoaib Malik from Pakistan and England's Liam Liam. I got my first glimpse of the new stadium with Plunkett. Team USA and New York sports stars John Starks (NBA/New York Knicks), Elena Delle Don (WNBA/USA) and Bartolo Colon were also in the stands to celebrate the inaugural Cricket World Cup. (MLB/New York Yankees vs. Mets), Victor Cruz (NFL/New York Giants), Ibtihai Muhammad (Fencing/USA). To commemorate this milestone, all the special guests signed a giant cricket bat. The bat will remain at the venue for eight games, which will be held June 3-12.
Limited general admission tickets remain on sale for the opening game in New York, and tickets including food and beverages are also on sale for all games in Nassau County, including India vs. Pakistan. Fans should not miss their chance to be a part of history as the first ICC World Cup match is played in New York. For more information, please visit tickets.t20worldcup.com or email hospitality@t20worldcup.com.
Today's event marks the latest milestone for the Nassau County venue, which began construction in January and is scheduled to host eight World Cup matches in June. His world-class, 34,000-seat temporary stadium is believed to be the first of its kind for international cricket and the largest ever built in the United States.
In addition to the east and west general admission stands, which are over 20 meters tall and offer sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline, large-scale hospitality and media pavilions have been constructed and featured at the unveiling at the north and south ends of the venue. Recent additions include cabana seating in the north pavilion and corner club seating with a private party area, offering a true American experience, including upscale food and beverages and some of the best views on the property.
The venue also features a world-class playing surface, with an outfield grown with natural Tahoma 31 Bermuda grass grown in Florida by Adelaide Oval Turf Solutions and US-based sports turf specialist Landtec Group. It surrounds four drop-in pitches. The pitch recently traveled 1000 miles to New York and was craned into place at the venue, where preparations are underway ahead of the event.
Two other venues will host matches in the United States, with the opening T20 World Cup match between the United States and Canada at Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas on June 1. Broward County International Stadium will host the first match between Sri Lanka and Nepal on June 11th.
The United States will co-host the event with the West Indies, and 39 matches will also be played at six venues in the Caribbean. The final will be held in Barbados on June 29th.
ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 Ambassador Usain Bolt said: “As someone from the Caribbean where cricket is part of my life, I am very excited to be participating in the T20 World Cup, which will be held in America for the first time and will be co-hosted with the West Indies. One of the biggest events in the sport Hosting the event in the United States is a major milestone and could be a springboard towards cricket's inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“The new stadium is going to be a great place to watch. It's very enclosed and you'll feel very close to the action. When cricket fans come to Nassau County International Stadium next month, it's going to be full of energy. I can imagine there will be.”
T20 USA, Inc. CEO Brett Jones said: “Today was a great celebration and showcased a stadium that is truly out of this world. It was great to give Usain and so many New York sports stars and Olympic legends this experience, and it was great to be able to give the U.S. It was a fitting welcome to cricket.
“It was also pretty special to have Curtly Ambrose, Liam Plunkett, Shoaib Malik, Corey Anderson and Monank Patel here and see their reactions to the stadium and the playing surface. Find out what fans can expect next month.