Cricket’s ability to extend its global presence beyond its home turf while maintaining the highest levels of quality will be put to the test over the next month with the T20 World Cup taking place in the Caribbean and the United States.
The tournament, which will be cricket’s fastest and most explosive format, will be the biggest ever after the International Cricket Council (ICC) decided to expand the number of participating nations from 16 to 20.
The event will also be the first major ICC event to be partly held in the United States, a country where attempts to grow the sport have consistently failed.
Three American venues in Florida, Texas and New York will host 16 group stage matches, including a high-profile match between India and Pakistan on Long Island, New York.
The remainder of the tournament will be played in the West Indies, with the Super Eight stage, semi-finals and final to be played at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados.
Cricket is widely played at recreational level in the United States and has a strong presence in all three states chosen to host the matches, but organizers are realistic about the chances of “converting” mainstream American sports fans.
Instead, they expect the stadium to be packed, especially with the large immigrant community from cricket-loving backgrounds, including thousands of Indian fans.
“First and foremost, we want to celebrate people who are already passionate cricket fans, and they deserve to see the best players in the world come to their hometown and get that opportunity,” Brett Jones, CEO of the USA T20 World Cup, told AFP.
“I think the second thing is to spark curiosity about the game,” he said.
The ICC also sees the tournament as a springboard towards the sport’s return at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, which will use the T20 format.
It also stands to benefit from growing interest in the blockbuster, spectacular shortest format, with Major League Cricket, a T20 tournament, launched last year.
But it’s not just the American market that the ICC has its eye on, as the expansion of the competition has also opened up the opportunity for new cricketing nations to compete on the big stage.
In recent years, the sport has expanded beyond the traditional powerhouses, with Ireland and Afghanistan now included in the elite group of 12 teams with full Test eligibility.
But the ICC believes the shortest format is the best vehicle for growing the game and this year’s tournament will see three teams – the United States, Canada and Uganda – compete in the T20 World Cup for the first time.
Nepal, Papua New Guinea and Oman are also relative newcomers to the big stage and will be hoping to make a name for themselves and grab some attention with an upset win.
With teams split into four groups of five, with only the top two progressing, there is a risk that the pool stage will be primarily a “weeding out” process, with smaller nations not expected to make it past the group stage.
– India’s Favourites –
India, who won the inaugural tournament in 2007, are the favourites with a line-up of players plucked from the annual Indian Premier League.
Veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will be desperate to make up for their loss in last year’s ODI World Cup final in what could be their last major tournament.
Despite being the centre of modern football, India has not won a major title since the 2013 Champions Trophy.
Australia, who won last year’s ODI World Cup and World Test Championship, have opted to leave out veteran batsman Steve Smith but batsman David Warner and pacemen Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins offer plenty of experience.
“There are five, six or seven teams that can win it and we know the tournament is all about doing the right things at the right time and winning when it matters,” Australia captain Mitchell Marsh said.
Among the favourites to win, England are the defending champions, but with Ben Stokes, the star of their 2022 triumph, busy managing his fitness after knee surgery, they will be hoping captain Jos Buttler can provide some brilliance with his batting.
Co-hosts West Indies won the tournament in 2012 and 2016 and while the Caribbean team struggles in the longer format, they remain a threat in 20-over cricket and will hope to benefit from their familiarity with the courts in the region.
South Africa, New Zealand and Pakistan will all be thinking they have a chance to make an impact in a tournament that always produces surprises.
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