The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday (September 20) announced three major USA cities – Dallas, Florida and New York – as the venues for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
USA and West Indies were awarded the hosting rights for the showpiece tournament. It will be the first that USA will stage the T20 World Cup, with Grand Prairie in Dallas, Broward County in Florida and Nassau County in New York picked as the venues.
Modular stadium solutions will be applied to increase facilities for the global event. An agreement has been reached for the construction of a 34,000-seat modular stadium in Eisenhower Park, a purpose-built sports and events park in Nassau County, New York, on awarding of the required permit next month.
Grand Prairie and Broward County will be increased in size by modular stadium solutions to expand seating, media and premium hospitality areas subject to final agreement.
ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice was elated to announce the venues for the T20 World Cup 2024, featuring 20 teams.
“We’re delighted to announce the three USA venues that will host part of the biggest ICC Men’s T20 World Cup ever staged, with 20 teams competing for the trophy. 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,” Allardice said in a statement.
He added that awareness around cricket's massive fanbase and its ability to unite diverse communities was growing in the USA.
“We explored a number of potential venue options in the country, and we were hugely encouraged by the enthusiasm the event generated amongst prospective hosts, reinforcing the growing awareness around cricket’s massive fanbase and its power to unite diverse communities.
“We are very excited about the opportunity to use modular stadium technology to present world-class cricket in a location that has not previously hosted an ICC global event giving USA cricket fans the chance to watch the world’s best on their doorstep.
"This technology has been used at previous ICC events to increase venue capacity and it’s routinely used in other major sports around the world. In the USA, it will give us the opportunity to increase the size of the venues in both Dallas and Florida and create what is going to be a stunning venue in New York.”
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman was excited to partner with ICC to host next year's T20 World Cup.
“Nassau County is excited to partner with the ICC to host the Men’s T20 World Cup, one of the most popular sporting events in the world. With more than one billion fans worldwide, this event will attract fans from all around the world to Eisenhower Park.
“Whether it be PGA events, record breaking concerts in our parks, or the annual Belmont Stakes, we are no stranger to hosting large scale events on the world stage. I look forward to bringing our many diverse communities together to watch some of the best cricket in the world, right here in Nassau County.”
The 2024 edition of T20 World Cup will see 20 teams divided into four groups of five each for the first round. The top two teams from each group will progress to the Super Eight stage.
In the Super Eight, teams will be split into two groups of four each, with the top two sides from each group advancing to the semi-finals.
The tournament will include teams from host nations West Indies and the USA, as well as Australia, defending champions England, India, Pakistan, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Netherlands.
Ireland, Scotland, and Papua New Guinea have already sealed their spots for the tournament while regional qualifiers in the Americas, Asia, and Africa are yet to be held.
(With ICC Inputs)
