Cricket is a rapidly growing sport and the participation of 20 teams in the upcoming T20 World Cup is evidence of this. Another evidence is the rise of the American cricket team and the US becoming a cricket destination. This may help increase the popularity of cricket in the region.
Not many people remember, but 30 years ago, when the FIFA World Cup was held in the United States, everyone was surprised because the United States did not have a good soccer or football team, nor did it have the infrastructure to host a world-class tournament. Thirty years later, Lionel Messi chose the US Soccer League over the French or English Premier Leagues, proving that those who awarded the hosting rights to the United States in 1994 were far-sighted.
Similarly, the T20 World Cup could boost soccer's popularity in the United States and neighboring countries, which have refurbished stadiums for the mega-event that will host 16 of the 55 matches and is already captivating soccer fans around the world.
The venues chosen for the US T20 World Cup include New York, Dallas and Florida. The Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York was built at a cost of $30 million and can accommodate over 34,000 spectators. It was previously used for the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, but due to the lack of lighting, all matches played here will be played during the day.
An interesting thing about this stadium is that it uses a drop-in pitch, which will be transported overland from Florida to New York in a truck container over a period of two days. After the completion of eight matches at this venue, the grass pitch will be removed and then replaced with artificial turf. After the completion of the T20 World Cup, the grandstand and seats will be demolished and only the field will remain.
Unlike the temporary Nassau County Stadium, Dallas' Grand Prairie Stadium is a permanent fixture. From 2008 to 2019, the 7,000-seat stadium was home to a professional baseball team and hosted a few soccer matches. It was then redeveloped into a cricket stadium with an investment of $20 million. All that remains from its baseball days is the upper floor of the old baseball complex.
And Central Broward Park and Broward County Stadium in Lauderhill, Florida, is the oldest and most cricket-like stadium in the U.S. Built in 2007 at a cost of $70 million, it has hosted the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and various series between the West Indies and other international teams such as New Zealand and India.
Let's talk about the US cricket team that beat a test playing nation (Bangladesh) in a T20I series ahead of the World Cup. The team is made up of immigrants from Pakistan, India, West Indies and Sri Lanka and is coached by former Australian player Stuart Law, who not only played in the 1996 Cricket World Cup but also the Grand Final in Lahore. His smarts got the US team into the main round of the T20 World Cup. If the team keeps listening to him, they might even beat some big teams in the first round.
But a lot will depend on the Americans' home-grown secret weapon: Corey Anderson. The former New Zealand all-rounder, who played in three Cricket World Cups for New Zealand (one ODI and two T20 World Cups), is making his return to the international stage, this time as an American cricketer. He is still remembered for his 36-ball ODI century against the West Indies in 2014, which remained the fastest ODI century for the next 12 months and the second-fastest ODI hundred.
The reason why the talented all-rounder has not been part of the New Zealand national team for the past five years remains a mystery but it has been solved by the US Cricket Administration who arranged for him to be part of their country's cricket team ahead of the mega event.
Published in Dawn, Young World, June 1, 2024
2 Comments
y4govl
69odak