Cricket is on the cusp of a new era in the United States, a nation renowned for its passion for sports. The International Cricket Council (ICC) is spearheading a renewed push for the sport, culminating in its reintroduction to the Olympic Games at the 2028 Los Angeles event. This renewed focus on the United States begins with the upcoming T20 World Cup, which the country will co-host with the West Indies next month.
The 2024 T20 World Cup will be staged entirely within the United States, further bolstering the sport’s presence in the country. While cricket remains a relative newcomer to the American sporting landscape, it has the potential to captivate a vast audience. The Indian subcontinent expatriate community in the United States represents a significant captive audience for cricket, providing a solid foundation for the sport’s growth.
USA Cricket Chairman Venu Pisike is enthusiastic about the opportunities presented by the upcoming events. “The World Cup and the Olympics in the next four years offer a tremendous opportunity to expand the sport and shed the ‘expat’ label associated with the cricket community,” he said.
An article published on the USA Cricket website aptly describes the game as a “burgeoning sport” in the United States. However, a recent online survey conducted by YouGov revealed that only 6% of respondents were aware of the T20 World Cup, while 52% of those surveyed believed the USA team would emerge victorious.
The USA team features Corey Anderson, a New Zealand cricketer who participated in the World Cup. At 33, Anderson may be past his prime, but his experience could prove invaluable. Half of the squad comprises players who honed their skills in Indian domestic cricket. Under the leadership of Monank Patel, the team’s best chance for success may lie in defeating Canada and potentially causing an upset during the league phase. However, few experts predict they will advance to the Super 8 stage of the 20-team tournament.
“There are challenges,” acknowledges Pisike. “One is developing stars. That will occur as our team performs. The other challenge is that any sport requires pathways and opportunities for individuals to enter colleges and earn scholarships. That is something that is lacking, and we need to develop programs to encourage people to embrace cricket as a sport.”
“Despite being an Associate member, we have the advantage of a sizable existing fan base. Nearly half a million active players engage in the sport throughout the country,” Pisike added.
Poor administration has hindered the development of cricket in the United States over the years. USA Cricket is playing a limited role in organizing the tournament due to governance concerns, and the ICC has provided only limited funding. “The ICC is shouldering the majority of the burden in setting up stadiums and operations for the World Cup,” said Pisike.
A temporary 34,000-seat stadium with drop-in pitches is being constructed in New York, which will host the high-profile India-Pakistan match. Additional matches will be played in Dallas, Texas, and Lauderhill, Florida. “This is not a long-term solution,” said Pisike. “In this country, the required policies and procedures would not have allowed for the timely construction of a stadium. Furthermore, a temporary stadium built in just a few months has generated significant awareness for the sport. For long-term sustainability, we have partnered with commercial entities to construct multiple stadiums in the coming years, which will facilitate hosting major events in the future.”
As brand ambassadors Usain Bolt and Yuvraj Singh promote the upcoming T20 World Cup, much of the marketing revolves around the marquee India-Pakistan match. The tournament represents a significant opportunity for cricket to establish a solid foothold in the United States, and the ICC and USA Cricket are committed to fostering its growth in the years to come.
