New York could host some matches of the T20 World Cup 2024 after a legislator made an appeal to the ICC. The USA will co-host the tournament with the West Indies, with the ICC scanning for potential venues for the same. Close to 17 games will be allotted to the US, with New York alongside Texas and Florida among options.
New York legislator Jennifer Rajkumar continued her appeals for T20 World Cup games to be played in New York. She believes the city has a rich diaspora home to more than 100 cricket clubs and 59 cricket grounds. The city’s police also has a separate youth cricket league.
NYC Mayor Eric Adams is also a huge fan of bringing the tournament to the city. With a large South Asian population, there is little doubt in generating interest for the T20 WC 2024.
Does New York City have a stadium?
Should New York host games, there could be a stumbling block in arranging a venue for the same. As per Cricbuzz, among the locations considered is Van Cortlandt Park. It covers a whopping 1,146 acres but requires major construction work to be ready for the T20 World Cup. Community Board 8 Chair Julie Reyes as per the report, recommended that construction would need to begin at least in January.
Her office said in a statement that the ICC World Cup would be an economic boon to the city of New York. Rajkumar noted that the selection of New York City would also commemorate the city’s deep history of cricket. New York City hosted the first-ever international cricket match in the world in 1844 when the American and Canadian national teams played an exhibition match.