The Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York’s first-look was unveiled by ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Ambassador Usain Bolt on May 15, 2024. The Stadium will host most Group A matches in the ICC T20 World Cup including the IND v PAK encounter on June 9.
USA and the West Indies will co-host the T20 World Cup 2024 which begins on June 1 and the final is scheduled to be played on June 9.
Cricket is at a crossroads, with a portion of the T20 World Cup in June taking place in the United States ahead of the sport’s return to the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028. The globe is watching with bated breath to see how the public perceives cricket in the United States, a new market for the sport.
For cricket in the United States to be successful, the India-Pakistan group league game on June 9 at Nassau County Stadium, 35 kilometers east of Manhattan, must be a success.
The 34,000-seat temporary stadium is the first of its sort in international cricket, and it is thought to be the largest ever built in the United States. The stadium is one of three venues in the United States for the upcoming mega event. The event’s matches will also take place in Florida and Texas.
Nassau County ground is similar to the size of Wankhede: ICC head of events Chris Tetley
Ahead of the occasion, Chris Tetley, head of events, ICC, said that the ground meets international standards comfortably.
“Whenever a new stadium comes up, there are a lot of questions about the size. But the Nassau County ground is not token-sized – it is 75 yards east-west and 67 yards north-south from the center. It is similar to the size of Wankhede. The drainage facilities, too, will be world-class,’ Tetley said to ICC.
Aside from the four center wickets, six practice pitches surround the ground, and drop-in pitches will be utilized during the competition.
The pitches were created in Florida under the supervision of Damian Hough, Adelaide Oval’s head curator, and then transported to New York by truck. Hough, who knows everything about generating superb wickets, admits that it was a significant challenge, but they are pleased with how things have turned out.
“The pitches will have pace and bounce and the ball should come onto the bat, something that the players prefer. The idea is to produce good pitches that will stay good throughout the tournament and the players will enjoy playing on,’ Hough said.
The galleries for the venue are makeshift. The temporary structure will be brought in from the Formula One track of Las Vegas and returned after the tournament is over.
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