As the United States prepares to co-host the first International Cricket Council tournament, the Men's T20 World Cup, this June, tournament director Fawaz Baksh says the event marks the beginning of a new chapter for the sport in the country. He said it was not too much.
“The United States has always been a part of the ICC and cricket,” Baksh told USA TODAY by phone from the West Indies. “Cricket is a huge market and I wouldn't say it's new to the United States, but it's not as popular as other sports. And that's part of the objective of growing this sport.” [here]. ”
Baksh said Major League Cricket (MLC) had its debut season last summer, opening the door to T20 cricket in the United States. Most of the games were played in front of packed crowds in Texas and North Carolina.
“They basically laid a lot of the groundwork for us by introducing the sport to the United States,” Baksh said. “They had a really good crowd.”
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USA was 'obvious choice' for 2024 T20 World Cup, tournament director says
When the time came to choose the host country for the 9th ICC Men's T20 World Cup, the United States was one of the “obvious” choices, Baksh said.
In addition to the growing interest in the sport in the United States, spurred in particular by the growing diaspora from cricket-rich South Asia, the United States is also seeing a “discipline-loving party atmosphere” and an exciting atmosphere where matches are played. It also provided a location.
Baksh said the United States, as co-hosts with the West Indies, provided “the perfect cocktail for a very nice tournament.” West Indies have previously played several ICC tournaments including the 2007 and 2010 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, the 2018 ICC Women's T20 World Cup and most recently the 2022 ICC Men's Under-19 World Cup. I've been hosting it.
“Great” reaction
This appears to have been a good decision, as the request to vote on game tickets received a “tremendous” response from within the United States.
“We expected there to be a lot of interest in tickets, both in the West Indies and in the United States, especially with the novelty of the World Cup,” Baksh told USA TODAY. “But the response we've gotten is actually very exciting. In fact, it's far exceeded our expectations.”
“At the end of the pilot period [of the public ballot]we [had] “We had almost 6 million ticket requests for this tournament, so it was a really good response from people across the region,” the tournament director added.
Baksh said a “significant portion” of the response came from within the United States, with all domestic matches “oversubscribed.” According to the ICC, “more than 200 applications have been received” for the much-awaited Pakistan vs. India match to be held in New York on June 9.
“It's a new market, so we don't necessarily know what the response will be, but it's been pretty easy to get people together,” he said. “They definitely want to see the magic.”
Games in the United States will be held at stadiums in Fort Lauderdale, Dallas and New York.
Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium in Dallas and Central Broward Park in Lauderhill are limited to 7,200 and 20,000 seats, respectively, while New York State is moving to Eisenhower Park on Long Island to host the tournament. It has a 34,000-seat modular stadium.
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Despite the management committee's best efforts, many fans were unable to secure tickets for their desired matches.
“The unfortunate reality is that not everyone who applies for a ticket will be able to get one,” Baksh said Friday. “I wish everyone could get a ticket, but that’s not possible.”
Baksh is hopeful that tickets for some matches may become available once sponsors and other parties return tickets to the pool. He advises those wishing to attend matches to keep an eye on the ticket portal for the chance to secure tickets for their desired matches.
“We encourage fans to keep checking in, but if that doesn’t work out, we encourage you to do so by visiting the Fan Park and participating in the tournament and the many activities planned before and after the tournament. “It's time to enjoy the tournament and feel part of the action,” he added.
Baksh told USA TODAY that the ICC is planning a number of fun activities to engage cricket fans and help new fans learn and become familiar with the game.
“A big part of this tournament is not only the players and what happens on the field, but also everything that happens outside the stadium,” Baksh said. “We're going to make it look like a real carnival.”
But can it generate the same amount of euphoria as the Super Bowl? Baksh is confident that his team and he will “put on a very good show,” but plans are still in the early stages.
“We're going to do something big in the opening game in Dallas,” Baksh said. “We need to celebrate the tournament.”
Putting their words into practice, the ICC is hosting the upcoming tournament with an “out-of-this-world” campaign featuring a life-sized cricket ball at nine venues including New York City's Times Square and Bridgetown, Barbados. Celebration activities have begun. There are 100 days left until the event.
England's Liam Plunkett and former West Indies cricket team captain Dwayne Bravo attended the launch with local fans and players in New York on Thursday, while Chris Gayle celebrated the West Indies launch.
Tournaments become more inclusive
The upcoming tournament will see several teams, including the United States and Canada, making their first appearances in ICC events and T20 cricket.
“The great thing about this tournament is that it's more inclusive,” Baksh said. “Instead of the usual 16 teams, we have booked up to 20 teams. This means more people around the world have had the opportunity to play on a bigger stage.”
leave a lasting legacy
While organizing a tournament that is good for everyone involved is Baksh's main focus, tournament directors also ensure that the event has a lasting legacy, one that remains long after spectators, fans and players have left the stadium. We want to make sure we leave a legacy behind.
“We want to make sure that something remains after the tournament,” Baksh said. “I hope this sport continues to grow in America.”
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Contact her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on platform SheX, formerly known as Twitter @saman_shafiq7.
