New York, New York. If cricket can make it there, maybe it really can make it anywhere.
This T20 World Cup might be the sport’s most joined-up attempt to achieve what it has often spoken of doing in the past, albeit always in nebulous terms. That being to crack the American market.
Its biggest fixture is being put on at a 34,000-capacity pop up ground in a park, 33 miles east of Manhattan. It brings to mind the days when football tried to lay down roots in the US by bringing Pele, plus a number of other world stars, to play in the start-up North American Soccer League.
The great Brazilian played his first matches for New York Cosmos at a decrepit stadium next to an expressway, on a field so patchy it had to be painted green.
At least the T20 World Cup is a step or two ahead of that, even if it will be hosting the sport’s brightest stars at a temporary venue.
Cricket might not quite have a Pele per se to sell it. But in the form of the India of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, plus the Pakistan of Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi, it certainly has pull, particularly with the vast subcontinental diaspora of the US.
India versus Pakistan is one of seven fixtures being played at the New York venue over the space of 10 days. How the place holds up to that weight of traffic will be curious to see.
The scaffolding stands at the Nassau County International Cricket Ground have the look of those at the Dubai Sevens. If they can create a similar atmosphere to the annual rugby festival in the Middle East, the organisers will be on to a winner.
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The newly-built Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, near New York, was 'launched' by the ICC ahead of the T20 World Cup. AFP -
The Nassau County International Cricket Stadium at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow, New York, is a 34,000-capacity stadium with infrastructure from the Las Vegas F1 circuit and drop-in pitches prepared in Florida. AFP -
The Nassau County International Cricket Stadium will host eight matches at the T20 World Cup next month. AFP -
New York will host matches at the T20 World Cup next month, including the hotly-anticipated India v Pakistan clash on June 9. AFP -
The Nassau County International Cricket Stadium is one of the three venues in the US that will host T20 World Cup matches. AFP -
The Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York is almost ready to host the T20 World Cup. AFP
The outfield has been delivered by the company who work with the Yankees and the Mets in Major League Baseball, as well Inter Miami in football.
The wicket itself, which will be under an even greater scrutiny than a usual match day, has been designed using the expertise of the curator at the Adelaide Oval in Australia.
The turf for the pitches was grown in Florida, to mitigate the harsher winter up north in New York, before being transported 20 hours to the venue via 20 semi-trailer lorries.
There will be fixtures in Texas and Florida, too. And if all that doesn’t do the trick, there is a second chance in four years’ time. The sport will have two shots at it, with cricket set to be reintroduced to the Olympic movement at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
Having new grounds in an unfamiliar territory can only be a good thing for the sport. There feels like an agreeable balance between old and new, with the World Cup set to reach its crescendo at one of its most historic venues, in Barbados.
With 20 teams, up from 16 last time out, and 12 when the T20 World Cup first started, there are also new faces to go with the more recognisable ones.
Even before it has started, this tournament has already had one major upset. There is a split of 11 Test-playing nations to nine Associates. The odd team out of the Test 12 are Zimbabwe, who were beaten to the African qualifying berths by Namibia and Uganda.
It means the audience will be denied seeing Sikandar Raza, one of the world’s top all-rounders, but gives scope for so many others to make themselves a star.
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The Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York is a purpose-built venue that will host the India v Pakistan match at the 2024 T20 World Cup. Photo: ICC -
The Nassau County Stadium in New York will have a capacity of 34,000. Photo: ICC -
The Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas is one of three venues in the US that will host 2024 T20 World Cup matches. SPORTZPICS for MLC -
The Grand Prairie Airhogs baseball stadium in Texas was converted into a cricket ground. Photo: City of Grand Prairie -
The Central Broward Regional Park Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has a capacity of 40,000 and has hosted a few T20 matches already. AFP -
The Guyana National Stadium is one of the six venues in the Caribbean that will host matches at the 2024 T20 World Cup. It has a capacity of 20,000 and will host six games, including the semi-final. AFP -
The Kensington Oval in Barbados is one of the biggest venues in the Caribbean with a capacity of 28,000 capacity. It will host nine matches, including the final, at this year's T20 World Cup. AFP -
The iconic Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, will also host T20 World Cup games. Getty Images -
The Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua is among the venues selected for the T20 World Cup. Getty Images -
The Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua has a capacity of 10,000 and will host eight matches. Getty Images -
The Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in Saint Lucia will host six matches at its 15,000-capacity venue. AFP -
The Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in Gros Islet, Saint Lucia, is named after one of the most successful white-ball captains of the West Indies. AFP -
The Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad And Tobago will also host T20 World Cup games. Getty Images -
The Brian Lara Cricket Academy has a capacity of 15,000 and will host five matches including the semi-final. Getty Images -
The Arnos Vale Stadium in St Vincent has a capacity of 18,000 and will host five matches. Getty Images -
The Arnos Vale Sports Complex in St Vincent is among the smaller venues for the T20 World Cup. Getty Images
Who will be the John Davison of 2003? Or the Kevin O’Brien of 2011? Or the Karthik Meiyappan of two years ago?
There are plenty of candidates who have the potential to break out from cricket’s margins and announce themselves on the world stage.
Dipendra Singh Airee, of Nepal, and Charles Amini, of Papua New Guinea, will definitely show that the best fielders in the world are not confined to the ones you see on the main channels all the time.
JJ Smit and Gerhard Erasmus will likely display the fact that Namibian cricket does not, in fact, start and end with David Wiese.
Ali Khan, a former mobile phone salesman, will carry the fight for the USA as a fast bowler of great distinction. Aqib Ilyas, who learnt the sport on the sand pitches of Muscat, will either catch the eye with his leg spin, his off spin, or his batting – or potentially all three.
Or maybe the most compelling hero of all could be Frank Nsubuga, the 43-year-old Ugandan spinner. He made his international debut 27 years ago.
Imagine if he were to take wickets of Nicholas Pooran or Kane Williamson and help create a shock win for the tournament debutants against the might of West Indies or New Zealand.
By expanding its reach, cricket has given itself more chances of writing a Hollywood script or two than ever before.
T20 World Cup jerseys – in pictures
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New Zealand team's retro jersey for the upcoming T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and US. Photo: Blackcaps / X (Twitter). -
The Indian team's kit for the 2024 T20 World Cup. The kit has orange in for only the second time after a one-off match against England at the 2019 ODI World Cup. Photo: Adidas / X (Twitter). -
Pakistan's players pose with the jersey for the 2024 T20 World Cup. Photo: Pakistan Cricket Board / X (Twitter). -
The T20 World Cup jersey of hosts West Indies. Photo: Windies Cricket / Instagram -
Mitchell Marsh with Australia's jersey for the 2024 T20 World Cup. Photo: Cricket Australia / X (Twitter). -
The Netherlands team's T20 World Cup jersey is one of the best seen in any world event. Photo: Cricket Netherlands / X (Twitter). -
Sri Lanka's captain Wanindu Hasaranga with his team's jersey for the 2024 T20 World Cup. AFP -
The Namibian team will participate in the 2024 T20 World Cup wearing these striking colours. Photo: Cricket Namibia / Instagram -
Nepal team's jersey for the 2024 T20 World Cup. Photo: Cricket Association of Nepal / Instagram -
Uganda had to change their original design and settle for a simple all yellow kit for the T20 World Cup. Photo: Uganda Cricket Association / Instagram -
Chris Jordan poses poses in England's kit for the T20 World Cup in Bridgetown, Barbados. Getty Images -
Scotland's jersey for the T20 World Cup is one of the most impressive in the tournament. Photo: Cricket Scotland / Instagram -
The Canadian team with their 2024 T20 World Cup jersey. Photo: Cricket Canada / X (Twitter). -
Afghanistan players with their T20 World Cup jersey. Photo: Afghanistan Cricket Board / X (Twitter). -
The Proteas' T20 World Cup design has their national colours displayed prominently on the shoulders. Photo: Cricket South Africa / X (Twitter). -
The Papua New Guinea team with their T20 World Cup kit. Photo: PNG Cricket / Instagram -
The T20 World Cup kit of Oman for the 2024 showpiece event. Photo: Oman Cricket / Instagram -
Host nation USA's kit for the 2024 T20 World Cup. Photo: USA Cricket / X (Twitter). -
Bangladesh's jersey for the T20 World Cup 2024. Photo: Bangladesh Cricket Board / X (Twitter). -
Ireland's jersey for the T20 World Cup. Photo: Cricket Ireland / Instagram
