Melbourne and Ahmedabad were buzzing on the eve of the India-Pakistan match, but New York, not so much.
Siddharth Monga
You can’t feel it in the air. It’s unfortunate, but it’s true. You can’t feel it.
This is different to the previous two India vs Pakistan matches I have watched – two years ago in Melbourne, fans of both teams came out to watch the match through the nets. Dolltrumpets, and their common song. It’s convenient there. The net is one floor below in the concourse, from where you can people watch. It was a festival, a party, a celebration. The next day, in perfect conditions, fans from both sides sang Passri The two teams played out a thrilling match together after which the Indians erupted into perhaps the biggest cheer in Melbourne history, a roar that could be heard several suburbs away.
Last year in Ahmedabad, the tension was palpable. Tickets were hard to come by and little more difficult than finding a bed to sleep in after the match. But there was anxiety beneath the surface even before the match began. Everyone was hoping the match would go ahead without incident. The ugly side of this rivalry was always within reach. If someone dropped you off at a hotel in Ahmedabad and you walked out onto the street, you would immediately know that an India vs Pakistan match was taking place.
In the big New York of 2024, you can’t know that the most historic cricket match, the most anticipated cricket event of the year, the match the tournament group has planned, is just around the corner. You just can’t feel it in the air.
The schedule doesn’t help either. It’s one of six matches (mornings) in six days at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium. Also, you have to be precise when you say they’re playing in New York. The match is in New York state, not New York City. There’s a big difference. For those familiar with India, imagine the cricket stadium in Greater Noida, which Afghanistan calls home. It’s in the middle of nowhere, with no public transport. It’s the same thing, except Afghanistan has a proper cricket stadium and training facilities. You wouldn’t say Afghanistan is playing in Delhi, would you?
Much like how Afghanistan operated unbeknownst to most of Delhi, except for the Afghan migrants in Lajpat Nagar and its surrounding areas, this T20 World Cup is taking place without drawing any attention from New York — well, except from the overly-meddlesome police, bordering on paranoid, who certainly have their eye on it, and it’s hard to imagine them opening their net to the public.
Also, New York City is a busy, expensive city. People are just coming. There’s a big picnic planned for fans in Central Park on Saturday afternoon. Watch parties at Citi Field are sold out, while the exorbitant hospitality ticket availability (still!) at the main venues worries the ICC.
If the idea was to introduce New York to the three-four days of festivities and rivalry that a traditional cricket match brings, this seemingly hastily organized match has not been a huge success. That being said, the ICC may not have wanted to miss out on this opportunity, as who knows when the Caribbean nations will get a chance to host a World Cup again. This will be the first World Cup to be held outside of India, England or Australia since 2014. The 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE was technically an Indian event, but was held there due to the pandemic.
So far, the tournament, with 20 teams, the largest number in World Cup history, has been a success after some early troubles. With victories by the United States, Canada, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, the first round left a lot of room for possibilities and was a glorious vote for expansion, not contraction. But the truth and irony is that it is the India-Pakistan match that makes this expansion possible. Like it or not, that is the case.
The India-Pakistan match was a disaster for the ICC in 2007, saving the day after an ODI World Cup of over-regulation and upsets sapped the fun out of the event in the West Indies. Two classic India-Pakistan matches in the inaugural T20 World Cup later that year gave the format a much-needed springboard for acceptance. It took a few years for the ICC to stop waiting for a natural match between the two teams. Since 2013, the two teams have been in the same group in the first round, ensuring that they will meet at least once. The ACC has followed suit.
Hastily prepared or dodgy pitch, this is India versus Pakistan, and it’s expected to generate more than $78 million for the New York area, according to a study conducted by Anderson Economic Analysis LLC. With Pakistan’s loss to the United States, there’s more context to the match. This is a virtual must-win for Pakistan, which is different from recent games between the two countries, which have not been as favored.
People will come from far and wide to watch the match, some flying in from the West Coast of the US and paying over $2,500 for a ticket, with some packages costing over $10,000 a ticket. Many of the cricketing legends from both countries will be in attendance, and the ICC will be hoping that both teams can recreate the magic they showed in Melbourne, despite the less than ideal circumstances. If you have any interest in cricket, come along – a close match in front of both teams’ supporters at a neutral venue is one of the unique experiences in sport.
Siddharth Monga is a senior writer at ESPNcricinfo.
