Monak Patel @ Getty Images
The United States makes its T20 World Cup debut against Canada on Saturday and vice-captain Aaron Jones says they are determined to play “fearless” cricket.
Both teams will be making their first appearance in the tournament, which has been expanded to 20 teams, but there will be particular pressure on the United States, which is co-hosting the tournament with the West Indies, to perform strongly at home.
#TeamUSA Preparing for historic showdown with Canada in opening game @ICC @T20 World Cup Tomorrow! 🔥🤩💪
If you don't have your tickets yet, purchase them online 📲: https://t.co/sNaRIqkaLn#T20WorldCup | #WeAreUSACricket 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/ZGlpvCGvQs
— USA Cricket (@usacricket) May 31, 2024
Cricket leaders see the explosive, short format as the perfect fit to appeal to mainstream American sports fans, and Jones says his team does not want to be afraid to go on the attack.
“Fearless cricket, positive cricket, smart cricket – I think that's what we're really serious about,” Jones told a news conference.
“We don't want to regret anything. We want to give our best. And, of course, if we win, that's great. If we don't win, that's what happens in cricket. But we don't want to regret anything,” he added.
Our Captains Monanku Patel and Ali Khan are proud @ICC @T20 World Cup Wearing the jerseys for the first time at Grande Prairie Stadium! Excitement is building #TeamUSA Get Ready #T20WorldCup! 🤩🔥💪translator | #WeAreUSACricket 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/1KhYStF57y
— USA Cricket (@usacricket) May 29, 2024
The two North American teams are in a tough group, but India and Pakistan are the clear favourites to progress to the Super Eight stage.
Ireland, who have gone from relative unknowns on the cricketing scene to being regulars at major tournaments and in many ways a role model for the United States and Canada, will be looking to pull off an upset and slip into the top two of Group A.
But whatever the outcome, it's a landmark moment for the U.S. team, competing in an elite event after decades stuck in minor tournaments.
“We've talked about going to the World Cup for a few years now, about qualifying for Test matches and taking U.S. cricket to a higher level,” Jones said.
“And then, of course, the World Cup starts tomorrow, so this is probably the highest altitude (so far),” he added.
Ambassador
Jones was born in New York but grew up in Barbados, a country he represented early in his career, before returning to the United States to become part of the team.
He also acknowledges the responsibility of being an ambassador for the sport as the team plays games in Texas, Florida and New York.
“Obviously what you do on the field is very important but I think what you do off the field is very important as well, especially coming from a country that doesn't know much about cricket,” he said.
“We want to excite our fans and get more support from people who were born and raised in America and I think the only way to do that is by playing well on the field and of course interacting with our fans and our growing following off the field,” Jones added.
Interestingly, the first ever international cricket match was played in New York in 1844 between the United States and Canada, with Philadelphia and New York in particular having numerous clubs.
However, baseball soon replaced cricket as the popular summer sport, and cricket, with a few exceptions, virtually disappeared.
But in recent years, the game has seen a resurgence, driven by growing South Asian and Caribbean communities, which have established competitive amateur leagues and last year launched a new T20 professional league, Major League Cricket (MLC).
The Grand Prairie Grounds is a converted minor league baseball stadium that opened just last year, while a cricket venue in Lauderhill, near Fort Lauderdale in South Florida, has already hosted a number of international matches.
The Long Island venue where the India-Pakistan match will be played is a temporary 34,000-seat stadium that will be demolished after the tournament, but the cricket ground itself will remain.
Jones, who made his U.S. national team debut in 2018, said the changes he's seen over the past few years have been remarkable.
“I think we're improving now in terms of the amount of cricket we play, the infrastructure, the variety of playing fields and increased access to grass wickets which is very important to us.”
“There's definitely been some good players coming into the country over the last few years and obviously there's more competition, so for now, things are looking up and we're hoping to continue to grow from here,” he said.
