DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Dallas, Florida and New York will host matches at the men's T20 World Cup next year, cricket's world governing body announced Wednesday.
The United States will be staging a global cricket event for the first time as the sport looks to expand into a new territory. It is co-hosting the June 4-30 tournament with the West Indies.
The International Cricket Council said an agreement has been reached for the construction of a 34,000-seat stadium in Eisenhower Park, a purpose-built sports and events park in Nassau County, New York, pending the awarding of a required permit next month.
Venues in Grand Prairie in Dallas and Broward County in Florida will be increased in size to expand seating, media and premium hospitality areas to enable them to host matches in the 20-team tournament, which makes it the biggest T20 World Cup yet.
“The USA is a strategically important market,” ICC chief executive Geoff Allardice said, “and these venues give us an excellent opportunity to make a statement in the world’s biggest sport market.”
The inaugural Major League Cricket competition was held this year in the U.S., with teams from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Dallas, New York and Washington — four of which are owned by franchises in the Indian Premier League — taking part. Grand Prairie staged many of the games.
Florida also hosted recent T20s between India and the West Indies at Central Broward Stadium in Lauderhill.
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