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Final touches are being put on the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, a 34,000-seat temporary facility in East Meadow, New York, as the United States co-hosts the T20 World Cup cricket, a historic first for the country
Cecilia SANCHEZ
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In the shadow of the New York skyscrapers, a field of dreams emerges, but it is not a baseball diamond. It is for another bat-and-ball sport – cricket – that supporters are betting will finally topple the Americans.
The centuries-old English game has a feverish following in much of the world, but the United States, long partial to American football, basketball and national pastime baseball, has been a persistent challenger.
That could change early next month when the United States gets its moment in the cricketing sun and co-hosts the Twenty20 World Cup – the championship series for a short form of cricket.
The temporary new stadium, fully funded by the International Cricket Council, the sport's global governing body, will host eight tournament matches, including the June 9 headliner, a potentially epic clash between powerhouses India and Pakistan, two of the country's biggest rivals the sport.
About 10 miles east of New York, a forest of metal beams supporting 34,000 grandstand seats is rising from Eisenhower Park on Long Island, a site the ICC chose after its previous plan in the Bronx failed.
It's not as graceful as Lord's cricket ground in London, but the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium will soon be in the spotlight – thanks to a quick green light from local authorities.
“The world is coming straight to Nassau County. You'll have kings and princes and great dignitaries,” beamed the county's Deputy Parks Commissioner Michael D'Ambrosio.
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A member of the American cricket club hits a shot against Long Island United on a pitch in East Meadow, New York, where the international sports stars will descend for the Twenty20 World Cup in early June 2024
KENA BETANCUR
“A lot of people are very jealous and jealous that we got this,” he told AFP, pointing to the tournament's huge global viewership.
The ICC, in turn, is investing heavily in the future of sport in the US, particularly in the New York region, home to several hundred thousand people with ties to cricket-playing countries, particularly India and Pakistan.
The India-Pakistan clash has already sold out, with tickets now costing more than $1,000 each online.
But once the stadium is dismantled in July, local cricket will return to its struggling state. Despite having approximately 10,000 players, the sport does not have a dedicated stadium in New York.
“Cricket is growing, but the infrastructure – that is where the battle is happening,” lamented Ajith Shetty, chairman of the Commonwealth Cricket League (CCL), the region's premier cricket grouping.
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US Ambassador to Barbados Roger Nyhus (R) receives batting tips from West Indies cricketer Carlos Brathwaite during the Twenty20 World Cup trophy tour, co-hosted by the United States and West Indies from June 1 to 29, 2024
Randy Brooks
New York has a team in Major League Cricket, the professional league launched last year, and plays on special fields – in Texas and North Carolina, where all MLC matches take place to keep costs under control.
“We are exploring options to create a permanent location close to our loyal fan base,” a spokesperson for defending MLC champion MI New York told AFP.
Meanwhile, CCL players lug a 225-kilogram mat from park to park, which acts as the 'pitch', the rectangular area in the center of a cricket field.
“No other sport has to put in so much work, only cricket in New York. They make us suffer,” said Shetty, an Indian-born entrepreneur.
“New York used to be a cricket mecca,” he added. But while conditions in the Big Apple have stagnated, other states have improved, especially Texas.
Houston is where team USA stunned Bangladesh on Thursday by winning their three-match international T20 series ahead of the World Cup.
Backed by local entrepreneurs, some CCL clubs pay players thousands of dollars a year, though not enough to quit their day jobs.
Waqas Ashiq, who plays for Long Island United CC and reflects on the problems when the team started in 2008, sees the glass as half full.
“It's been a long time coming,” he said before walking to the field to bat.
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Long Island United CC is one of several local cricket teams competing in the Commonwealth Cricket League in the New York area
KENA BETANCUR
“I'm hopeful that with this World Cup coming up, people's interest will be aroused a little bit.”
According to Shetty, the entrepreneur, the ICC is keen to invest in the development of America's youth, especially in light of cricket's return to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Schools are also showing interest.
The challenge now, Ashiq felt, in addition to the search for a permanent stadium, is involving the next generation: children of the cricket-loving immigrants who have made New York their home.
“That's the only way to grow the sport and make sure it's safe for the next 10, 20, 30 years.”