The clash is slated to take place in a New York City pop-up stadium. It promises to be the highlight of the initial group stage of next year’s T20 World Cup. The International Cricket Council and local organizing committees are set to finalize the full schedule. This will pave the way for a tournament co-hosted by the United States and the West Indies.
India and Pakistan, among ten participating teams, will play all their opening group-stage matches in North America. Their performances will likely captivate the sizeable cricket-loving expats there. The move to host matches in the US aims to engage America’s vibrant cricket community.
So far, the changes in schedule seem possible. Yet, England and Australia will play their group games in the Caribbean. England’s matches in the group stage and potential progression to the Super 8 round would be taking place in Antigua, Barbados, and St Lucia. Australia will compete in St Vincent, Guyana, and Trinidad.
The ICC inspectors have been scrutinizing the Caribbean venues over the past weeks. The outcome: there’s still room for improvements. However, no significant concerns were mentioned. Plus, the final venue remains unconfirmed. Yet, Barbados, a previous host of cricketing events, is a likely contender.
The US will offer Central Broward Park in Florida, Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas, and a temporary 34,000-seat stadium in New York. This would accommodate the massive Indian and Pakistani fanbase out of local diasporas.
Acknowledging the time difference between New York and New Delhi, organizers plan to schedule games accordingly. First of all, it would involve India, with morning starts to cater to the subcontinent’s TV audiences.
England, the 2022 T20 World Cup defending champions, are currently on a white-ball tour of the West Indies. They gain exposure to the conditions they will encounter during the upcoming tournament.
The T20 World Cup excitement grows day by day around the globe. So the prospect of hosting matches in the US and the prestigious India-Pakistan encounter sets the stage for a cricketing event to attract fans worldwide.
