The ICC is poised to unveil a temporary stadium with a capacity of 34,000 seats, located approximately 30 miles east of New York City, as one of the venues for the highly anticipated 2024 T20 World Cup co-hosted by the USA and the West Indies. This facility will be constructed within the sprawling Eisenhower Park, spanning 930 acres in East Meadow, a hamlet on Long Island, situated about 30 miles to the east of Manhattan. Notably, this venue is expected to host the high-profile match between India and Pakistan.
This announcement follows months of negotiations between the ICC and New York City officials, which ultimately failed to secure a similar pop-up venue in Van Cortlandt Park, located in the Bronx borough. Resistance from local residents and a cricket league based in the park led to the abandonment of plans for the Bronx venue. The ICC promptly shifted its focus to Nassau County, where Eisenhower Park administrators were receptive to negotiations.
The ICC has been eager to promote cricket in the USA, given its dual appeal as the world’s largest media market and the fastest-growing cricket market globally. The USA’s media rights for ICC events are among the most lucrative, ranking in the top four countries in terms of financial value. Designating the USA as a co-host for the T20 World Cup was a strategic move by the ICC to further cricket’s presence in the country.
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However, the ICC has long been concerned about the limited cricketing infrastructure in the USA. While the MLC did unveil a 15,000-seat flagship stadium in Dallas for its inaugural season, aside from this facility and Central Broward Park near Miami, the country lacks permanent, state-of-the-art floodlit cricket venues.
The agreement for Eisenhower Park should help address the ICC’s venue concerns in the USA. The ICC had initially allocated around 20 games to be played in the USA, which are now likely to be divided among the three facilities. Additionally, another MLC venue, Church Street Park in Morrisville, North Carolina, is also being considered to host some World Cup matches. However, this facility lacks permanent structures or practice facilities.
The ICC had previously announced that the 20-team World Cup would kick off on June 4 and conclude on June 30. Given the tentative scheduling of the second edition of the MLC in July, there’s a possibility that the MLC may take advantage of the newly-established infrastructure at Eisenhower Park and make it the temporary home for the MI New York team.