Caribbean (Commonwealth) _ Chris Gayle, a former Caribbean explosive cricketer, feels the T20 World Cup would bring cricket to a new global level by tapping into the affluent American sports market. The Twenty20 showcase, which begins on June 1, is being co-hosted by the United States and Gayle’s home West Indies, and large audiences are anticipated. However, it will be the first major international cricket event held in the United States, with a sell-out audience expected for the match between arch rivals India and Pakistan at a temporary 34,000-seat arena on Long Island, New York.
Gayle feels that the popularity of last year’s maiden Major League Cricket, a T20 franchise league centered in the United States, has helped the game gain traction in America.
The ICC (International Cricket Council) has been working to bring cricket to a worldwide scale in the United States,” Gayle told media in an interview celebrating 100 days till the start of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. India against Pakistan is in New York, and I’m sure it’ll be amazing.
They (the USA) held a T20 event last year, which was a success. It’s a vast market; we just have to hope it’s successful in the United States.” West Indies has limited-overs cricket heritage, having won the first two men’s one-day international World Cups in 1975 and 1979, but they did not even qualify for last year’s 50-over event in India.
We lost out on the 50-over World Cup, so this will be a great opportunity for the players to compete for something, said Gayle, appearing via video conference from Barbados. We are just happy to be in the final (on June 29) in Barbados. Anything is possible if you get through to the finals.
I’m delighted for the fans to witness some cricket,” said big-hitting opener Gayle, who became the first batter to record a century in T20 internationals in 2007. The 44-year-old, who was a member of the West Indies teams that won the T20 globe Cup in 2012 and 2016, said the current squad has enough “options and experience” to dethrone holders England, despite their low standing of seventh in the globe.
The West Indies defeated their last ODI series in Australia 3-0 and 2-1 in the T20 series, but they tied the Test series 1-1 as an under-strength squad won a thriller in Brisbane by only eight runs against the defending world champions in the five-day format.
It was the first time the West Indies, who were dominant Test cricket in the 1980s and 1990s, have won a Test in Australia since 1997, and Gayle described it as a major achievement for the side. The energy, the joy of beating Australia (in a Test) after so many years; you know I was a part of that fight as a captain in Australia. It’s incredible to be able to win in such a terrific manner, he said.
Brian Lara, a batting great, was visibly delighted while providing analysis on television. Former batsman Carl Hooper also shed tears. One serious issue for global cricket executives is that the best players are no longer require playing internationals to make money in the age of global franchise championships.
Jason Holder, former West Indies captain, skipped the Test series in Australia to play T20 cricket in the UAE instead. Gayle, one of the first globe-trotting T20 “guns for hire” who clashed with Caribbean cricket bosses over availability, said it was up to administrators to equalize the calendar. “I’m always in favor of the players earning their living; it’s their livelihood,” he stated.
Cricket is a large business, therefore we can’t pressure a player to select a franchise over his home nation since there is no loyalty on either side. There’s simply too much cricket, and it detracts from international cricket until two major countries compete. They just need to improve the framework to ensure that both teams compete at the international level.
In May 2023, CWI launched a bidding process for Caribbean and US countries to host World Cup matche
In July 2023, the ICC nominated four sites in the United States: Fort Lauderdale (Central Broward Park), Morrisville (Church Street Park), Dallas (Grand Prairie Stadium), and New York (Van Cortlandt Park).The Bronx neighborhood protested against the construction of a cricket stadium at Van Cortlandt Park, prompting the ICC to relocate to Eisenhower Park.
On September 20, 2023, the ICC announced three locations for the World Cup in the United States: Lauderhill (Central Broward Park), Dallas (Grand Prairie Stadium), and Nassau County Stadium in New York.
ICC decided to build a temporary modular stadium with a capacity of 34,000 at Eisenhower Park in Nassau County, New York. They also doubled the capacity of their existing stadiums in Fort Lauderdale and Dallas by using modular stadium solutions to expand seating, media, and premium hospitality areas.
On September 22, 2023, the ICC announced seven sites for matches in the Caribbean islands of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Guyana, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.Jamaica, St. Kitts & Nevis, and Grenada did not submit bids to host the World Cup, with Jamaican sports minister Olivia Grange citing financial concerns.
