U.S. Cricket Ambitions Get Big-Time Boost

The steady growth of cricket in the U.S. is about to receive another major boost. 

The International Cricket Council has named New York, Dallas, and Miami as venues for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

Along with the West Indies, the U.S. was selected nearly two years ago by the International Cricket Council as a co-host for the global cricket tournament. But the placement of games in the Nos. 1, 5, and 18 U.S. media markets suggest the ICC has big plans for the tournament.

“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,” said Geoff Allardice, ICC CEO.

The New York games will be played at a newly developed, 34,000-seat modular stadium in Nassau County’s Eisenhower Park. The decision to build the venue there marks a political defeat for the City of New York and mayor Eric Adams, who sought to construct the temporary facility in the Bronx.

The Dallas-area games will be at Grand Prairie Stadium, while the Miami-area ones will be at Central Broward Park. Both venues also use modular technology to accommodate what is expected to be record-level attendance for the event.

The 20-team T20 World Cup 2024 will be the ICC’s biggest yet, expanding from a prior 16-team format.

Los Angeles Games In Mind

Set for June 4-30, the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will be held amid cricket leaders’ push for the sport’s inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, with a decision soon expected. The ICC’s initial selection of the U.S. as the Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 co-host was made specifically with that Olympic inclusion in mind.

The U.S.-based Major League Cricket also held its inaugural competition this year, fielding a six-team competition a year after securing $120 million in funding. Its investor group includes Microsoft executive chairman and CEO Satya Nadella.