Nassau County International Cricket Stadium Unveiled by Usain Bolt and Cricket Legends
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Ambassador Usain Bolt, cricket legends, Team USA, and New York sports stars were the first to take their seats at the newly built Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, marking a historic moment for cricket in the United States.
The unveiling of the stadium’s panoramic view from the premium seats marked the official countdown to the first ICC Men’s T20 World Cup match in New York, featuring the 2014 champions Sri Lanka and South Africa, scheduled for 3 June.
Joining Bolt for the first look at the stadium were USA cricketers Corey Anderson and Monank Patel, West Indies legend Sir Curtly Ambrose, 2009 T20 World Cup winner Shoaib Malik from Pakistan, and England’s Liam Plunkett. To celebrate this historic event, they were joined by New York sports stars including John Starks (NBA / New York Knicks), Elena Delle Donne (WNBA/USA), Bartolo Colon (MLB/New York Yankees-Mets), Victor Cruz (NFL/New York Giants), and Ibtihaj Muhammad (Fencing/USA). All special guests signed a giant cricket bat, a memento that will remain at the venue throughout the eight matches scheduled from 3-12 June.
Limited general admission tickets for the opening match in New York are still available, along with tickets inclusive of food and beverage for all games in Nassau County, including the much-anticipated India versus Pakistan match. Fans are encouraged not to miss this historic event. For ticket details, visit tickets.t20worldcup.com or email [email protected].
The Nassau County venue, where construction began in January, is set to host eight World Cup matches in June. The 34,000-seater stadium, the first of its kind for international cricket in the United States, boasts east and west general admission stands rising over 20 metres, offering views of the Manhattan skyline. The venue also features extensive hospitality and media pavilions on the north and south ends, including the newly added Cabana seats and Corner Club seats with a private party area, offering an elevated food and beverage experience and some of the best views of the grounds.
The stadium is equipped with a world-class playing surface, surrounded by four drop-in pitches cultivated with native Tahoma 31 Bermuda grass, nurtured in Florida by Adelaide Oval Turf Solutions and US-based sports turf experts LandTek Group. The pitches, recently transported to New York, were installed by crane into the venue and are being prepared for the upcoming event.
Two other venues, Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas and Broward County International Stadium, will also host matches in the United States. The opening fixture of the T20 World Cup will be played between USA and Canada on 1 June at Grand Prairie Stadium, while Broward County International Stadium will host its first encounter between Sri Lanka and Nepal on 11 June.
The USA, co-hosting the event with the West Indies, will see 39 matches played across six Caribbean venues. The final match will be held on 29 June in Barbados.
Usain Bolt, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Ambassador, said:
“Coming from the Caribbean where cricket is a part of life, I’m very excited to be part of the T20 World Cup coming to the USA for the first time, co-hosting with the West Indies. This is a significant milestone for cricket and could serve as a launching pad for cricket’s inclusion in the LA Olympics in 2028. The new stadium is going to be a fantastic place to watch from. I can imagine it will be full of energy when cricket fans get to Nassau County International Stadium next month.”
Brett Jones, T20 USA, Inc. CEO, said:
“Today was a fantastic celebration, showcasing a truly out of this world stadium. Having Usain and a host of New York sports stars and Olympic legends to experience it was fantastic and a fitting welcome to cricket in the USA. Seeing the response of Curtly Ambrose, Liam Plunkett, Shoaib Malik, Corey Anderson, and Monank Patel to the stadium and the playing surface was also pretty special. It gives us a real sense of what the fans can expect next month.”