CMC – Organisers of the ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup unveiled on Wednesday an ambitious plan to construct a 34 000-seat modular stadium in the state of New York to stage eight matches in this year’s tournament, including the epic battle between arch-rivals India and Pakistan on June 9.

The sport’s governing body said the project started this week in Eisenhower Park, Nassau County, 30 miles east of Manhattan, with work on the playing surface and the outfield to be followed by the erection of seating and temporary facilities scheduled to start next month.

“We are excited to be unveiling the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024,” ICC chief executive officer, Geoff Allardice said in a news release.

“It is an incredibly important milestone in the lead up to the biggest ICC event ever, with work commencing on the stadium, which will be able to accommodate 34 000 cricket fans.

“We are partnering with world-class suppliers to deliver the modular stadium to ensure that players and fans can enjoy an unforgettable experience across the eight matches in New York in June this year.”

Concerns had been raised around the world after American cricket correspondent Peter Della Penna shared a video and a few images of the park in its present state and questioned if organisers could meet the deadlines.

According to the news release, the stadium is scheduled to be completed within three months and will have capacity for fans across premium and general admission seating, as well as VIP and hospitality suites, including a party deck and cabanas, to host the biggest cricket carnival spectacle ever.

“Though a world first for cricket, modular stadiums are used regularly in other sports, including Formula 1, golf, and the Olympic Games providing fans with every facility they would expect at a global sporting event,” the ICC news release noted.

The stadium has been designed by Populous, a world-class sports and entertainment venue architecture firm, that has designed some of the world’s most iconic stadia, including Yankee Stadium in New York; the Narendra Modi Stadium, the world’s largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad, India; and English Premier League venue, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

The news release added that Populous are the architect of record for both the New York Yankees and New York Mets, while Arena Event Services will bring expertise from other global sporting events and will provide and install the stadium infrastructure, and the United States-based international sports procurement firm, The Parker Company will project manage the build.

The news release stated that sustainability was also an important feature of the project with the grandstands used for the Formula 1 Grand Prix last year in Las Vegas being repurposed for the venue.

The pitch, which is a drop-in square of the type used around the world, including at the Adelaide Oval in Australia and Eden Park in New Zealand, is currently being curated in the American state of Florida and will be transported by road in early May to the venue, the news release stated.

The development of the pitches is being undertaken by Adelaide Oval Turf Solutions, led by renowned Adelaide Oval head curator Damian Hough, while the outfield is being delivered by the LandTek Group, a United States-based sports turf expert firm, which has worked with the Yankees and the Mets, as well as Inter Miami CF on their stadium and training fields.

The tournament will be co-hosted by the Caribbean and the United States from June 1 to 29, and it will be the largest with 20 international teams playing 55 matches across nine host venues.
It is the first time the United States will host matches at a T20 World Cup, with 16 first round matches split between the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium in the city of Dallas in the state of Texas, and the Broward County Regional Stadium in Lauderhill in Florida.

The Caribbean, the hosts 14 years ago, will be staging the tournament for the second time and will stage matches at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua, Kensington Oval in Barbados, the National Cricket Stadium in Guyana, Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia, Arnos Vale Sports Complex in St Vincent, and the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad.

Cricket West Indies is the official host of the event, with an entity T20 World Cup Inc. established to administer local delivery within the United States, while working in partnership with Major League Cricket to support the growth of the sport in the North American country.