 "New York may host India vs Pak match in 2024 T20 WC as ICC confirms venues")
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed Dallas, Florida, and New York as the three USA venues that will host the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. Grand Prairie in Dallas, Broward County in Florida, and Nassau County in New York will be part of history as US will host the event for the time.
The ICC Board awarded the hosting of the event to the West Indies and the USA in November 2021. The venues were selected following extensive evaluation of several options. According to a Cricbuzz (CB) report, the much-anticipated India vs Pakistan fixture is likely to be played in New York City.
Making cricket popular in the US
ICC has been contemplating expanding cricket in the USA for two reasons. One, the US is home to the world's biggest media market; two, the US is also the fastest-emerging cricket market around the globe. The USA media rights for ICC events are said to be amongst the top four countries in terms of dollar value, a Cricbuzz (CB) report said.
The lack of cricket infrastructure in the US
Among the hurdles in popularising cricket in the US is the lack of supporting infrastructure. This has been an issue of concern for the ICC. While Major League Cricket (MLC) did unveil its 15,000 seater flagship stadium in Dallas for their inaugural season, apart from this and Central Broward Park near Miami, the US does not have any floodlit state-of-the-art cricket structure, the CB report said.
The ICC T20 World Cup
The ICC earlier announced that the 20-team World Cup will commence on June 4 and conclude on June 30. This will be the ninth edition of the T20 World Cup, a biennial tournament contested by men's national teams and organised by the ICC. The 2024 World Cup will be the first one to feature matches played in the United States.
Chief Executive officer of ICC, Geoff Allardice said, “We’re delighted to announce the three USA venues that will host part of the biggest ICC Men’s T20 World Cup ever staged, with 20 teams competing for the trophy. The USA is a strategically important market and these venues give us an excellent opportunity to make a statement in the world’s biggest sport market."
Chief Executive officer of ICC, Geoff Allardice said, “We’re delighted to announce the three USA venues that will host part of the biggest ICC Men’s T20 World Cup ever staged, with 20 teams competing for the trophy. The USA is a strategically important market and these venues give us an excellent opportunity to make a statement in the world’s biggest sport market."