(ESPNCricinfo) – India coach Anil Kumble is “very impressed” with the facilities at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium in Florida, which is set to host two T20 internationals between West Indies and India over the weekend. This will be the first time India will be playing international matches in the USA. The Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, close to 50km north of Miami, is the only ICC-certified ODI standard stadium facility in the USA and hosted six Caribbean Premier League matches last month.
“I certainly didn’t expect the facilities to be as good as what they are in the United States,” Kumble said in Lauderhill on Thursday. “I certainly felt that it could be a makeshift. I had heard about Florida and this ground, but very impressed with the facilities that we have seen today. It’s the first time that I’m seeing this ground and the wickets are good, ideal probably for a T20, and the practice facilities have been good. The outfield looks fantastic. So all in all, (I’m) really impressed with the facilities here.
“It’s a wonderful initiative and we are really looking forward to our matches here. It’s going to be a sell-out. We know U.S. … the expats and the huge Indian Diaspora who are waiting for quality cricket to come to the U.S. We have played in the past in the West Indies and a lot of Indians come over from the U.S. to watch us. So this is a great opportunity for all of them and I’m sure this is the start of a new beginning in the United States and I’m sure there will be a lot more of the Indian team in the U.S. going forward.”
The two-match series is going to be the first of what will develop into an annual event in the USA as part of efforts to “reach out to new markets and audiences,” BCCI president Anurag Thakur had said.
The Indian squad arrived in Florida from the West Indies on Tuesday, before they were joined by T20 captain MS Dhoni and fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah on Wednesday.
Even though India won the Test series 2-0, the players from the Test squad are coming with hardly any recent match practice because of the rain-affected fourth Test in Port-of-Spain where the last four days didn’t see any play.
Kumble was still optimistic about the confidence the team would carry from his first series as coach.
The Central Broward Regional Park has previously hosted four T20Is – in 2010, New Zealand played two matches against Sri Lanka, and returned in 2012 for two games against West Indies.