A lawmaker from New York City has sincerely asked Greg Barclay to take her city into consideration for hosting the Twenty20 World Cup matches in the future. “Our City is home to the largest South Asian community in the Western Hemisphere, along with significant West Indian, British, Australian, New Zealander, Emirati, and African Diaspora communities,” Assemblywoman from New York Jenifer Rajkumar wrote in a formal letter to the ICC chairman. In New York City, every World Cup side has a devoted following, and for many cricket fans, the chance to see their beloved players live in action would be a dream come true.
The West Indies and the USA will host the forthcoming 2024 Twenty20 World Cup. New York has emerged as one of the top contenders to host the matches in June 2024 following a recent detailed evaluation of various venues in the United States by an ICC delegation.
“As the first Indian American woman elected to a state office in New York, I have direct knowledge of cricket’s astounding appeal among the South Asian American population. The legislator, a representative of the 38th district, said, “I’ve been to many cricket games as an Assemblywoman and helped pass a historic resolution for the New York State Athletic Commission to sanction cricket within our State.
“New York is the perfect host city for the World Cup since it is the epicenter of American cricket. We have 59 cricket grounds, an estimated 100 cricket clubs, and many leagues. Even the NYPD runs a youth cricket league on a regular basis. The Staten Island Cricket Club, which was established in 1872, is another notable cricket club in New York City.
According to reports, New York City Mayor Eric Adams is a fervent supporter of hosting the matches. Recent local media reports, though, imply that it would be difficult to prepare the pitch for the tournament.
Community Board 8 Chair Julie Reyes spoke about the potential site for the stadium, specifically Van Cortlandt Park, a huge park with 1,146 acres, and said that if this park were chosen, construction would need to start in January 2024 to guarantee completion in time for the majority of cricket matches scheduled for June that year.
The project’s plans, which describe a 19.5-acre piece in the southeast corner of Van Cortlandt Park with a space for concessions and a stage for entertainment, were presented at a special meeting of CB8 on July 20. The Bronx Times noted in July that the schedule of Albany’s upcoming legislative session, which isn’t scheduled to begin until January 2024, “may possibly put a wrench in the ICC’s potential plans to include a NYC facility among its host cities.
The 20-team championship will have 50 games, and according to the initial agreement between the two host areas, the US will likely receive one-third of those games (almost 17).
“I am writing to request that you choose New York City as the host city for the ICC World Cup on behalf of tens of thousands of New York cricket lovers. Having participated in the sport with my cousins in India as a child, I am a proud follower of cricket,” Jenifer added. “New York City’s role as the global melting pot contributes greatly to our passion for cricket. People from all countries where cricket is a popular sport have been welcomed here.
Jenifer wrote a letter that is passionate and emphasized the intrinsic importance of cricket to the city’s cultural landscape as well as recent achievements like Major League Cricket’s (MLC) success. “Selection of New York City would also commemorate our rich cricket history,” she said. The first international cricket game was played in New York City in 1844 between the national teams of the United States and Canada. The World Cup will be held in New York City exactly 180 years from now, completing a circle in the development of international cricket competition.