2024 T20 Cricket World Cup and the sport’s rising popularity in the United States
As we await the beginning of the 2023 International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s T20 World Cup, it is becoming difficult to ignore the pressing issues facing next year’s event. With the 2024 tournament less than a year away, there has already been a lot of apprehension about whether the United States can successfully host a high-profile cricket tournament. While there has been no official confirmation from the ICC, numerous publications reported that the global governing body of cricket is contemplating relocating the World Cup from the U.S. to England or another nation.
One point of contention has been that the U.S. does not have professional-caliber cricket stadiums with adequate infrastructure to host a grand event like a World Cup. This statement is defended by the fact that the three biggest cricket stadiums in the U.S. are Central Broward Park & Broward County Stadium in Florida, Indianapolis World Sports Park in Indiana, and Smart Choice Moosa Stadium in Texas. All of these stadiums have seating capacities of upwards of 20,000 spectators.
With less than one year until the start of the ninth ICC Men's T20 World Cup tournament, constructing entirely new stadiums is unfeasible. Worth noting though, is that Seddon Park, Saxton Oval, and University Oval in New Zealand along with Manuka Oval in Australia, have all successfully hosted World Cup matches in the past, despite having seating capacities of less than 15,000.
Although primarily designed for baseball, stadiums like Citi Field, Minute Maid Park, and Dodger Stadium have not only previously hosted the Cricket All-Stars Series in 2015, but also boast impressive seating capacities of over 40,000 and could prove to be appropriate alternatives for the tournament. Moreover, American College Cricket's impressive expansion to include up to 90 member colleges is concrete evidence of cricket’s fast-growing popularity in the United States.
The recent inaugural editions of Major League Cricket and U.S. Masters T10 League have provided a path for cricket to break through the lucrative landscape of American sports. Additionally it has also rendered the notion that the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup would not garner sufficient fan interest, null and void. As a melting pot of different cultures and ethnicities, the United States boasts a sizable part of its populace who have their backgrounds rooted in cricket-obsessed countries like India and Pakistan.
Speaking to the media about the long-term goals of the U.S. Masters T10 League’s franchise New York Warriors, owner Muhammad Kamran Awan said that the ownership group's goal is “to promote cricket, create growth opportunities for international players in the U.S. sports market, and unite enthusiasts from both nations.” He added, “We have ventured into team ownership with the primary objective of fostering cricket's growth in the U.S.A., a nation that has already witnessed remarkable achievements in the sport.”
We hear a lot from the International Cricket Council raving about its goal of democratizing the sport and making cricket more accessible to fans around the world. Through hosting an event like a World Cup, the ICC would not only give cricket aficionados in the U.S. a chance to watch their stars in action on the biggest stage, but also expand cricket's global reach.
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