The International Cricket Stadium in Nassau County, Long Island, was unveiled in preparation for the upcoming Men’s T20 World Cup matches that will take place there in June. The stadium, which has a seating capacity of 34,000, was built in just three months and marks the first time the United States will be hosting Cricket World Cup games.
The unveiling ceremony was attended by star athletes such as former New York Knicks shooting guard John Starks and Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt. Both athletes encouraged people to come out and support the games, emphasizing the importance of growing the sport of cricket in the United States.
Legendary West Indies cricket player Curtly Ambrose expressed how special it is to host the tournament in the Caribbean and the U.S., noting that it will have a positive impact on growing the popularity of cricket in the U.S. Monank Patel, a cricket player for the U.S., also expressed his excitement to be a part of this historic tournament and believes it will help develop cricket in the country.
Tickets for these games are selling fast, with the most popular games nearly sold out. The tournament features matchups between Sri Lanka and South Africa, India and Ireland, Canada and Ireland, Netherlands and South Africa, India and Pakistan, South Africa and Bangladesh, Pakistan and Canada, and the USA and India.
