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The news that the Men’s Soccer World Cup finals will be held in North Jersey in 2026 has generated a lot of buzz. But there’s another big international tournament that Garden State fans are excited about, and it’s just a few months away.
The ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup will be held in June, with matches being held in the Caribbean and, for the first time, in the United States. Eight of the 55 matches will be played at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium on Long Island, which is currently under construction. The final will be held in Barbados on June 29th.
The month-long tournament features 20 teams and showcases the world’s second most-watched sport. According to the 2023 World Atlas, the estimated global fan base is 2.5 billion, while soccer’s fan base is 3.5 billion.
Opponents for World Cup cricket include 2022 T20 champions England, 2022 runners-up Pakistan, and powerhouses Australia, India and New Zealand. Teams from the United States and the West Indies will also be participating as they are the host countries.
Cricket World Cup 2024 tickets go on sale Thursday
Tickets for the T20 World Cup went on sale for the first time from February 1 to 7 through a public voting system where fans can apply for the right to purchase. Applicants were randomly selected and notified via email. Tickets not received by selected applicants will go on sale to the general public starting Thursday.
Sriram Vedanta Ramanujam is one North Jersey cricket fan hoping to win some kind of seat. Glenn His Rock resident is a coach and co-founder of the North Jersey Youth Cricket Academy. The academy trains youth players from ages 4 to 18 at his two locations: Saddle River County Park County Pitch in Fair Lawn and Sports Domain Academy in Clifton. .
Ramanujam, who is from India, said he would like to get tickets for the most anticipated match of the tournament, India vs. Pakistan, to be played at Nassau Stadium on June 9. Standard-level tickets for the showdown cost $175, while premium seats are sold for $400. Forbes magazine recently reported.
The 34,000-seat stadium is scheduled to be completed in May, just weeks before games start.
“We are hoping to get tickets to take our children to the academy. Four or five of us from the academy are trying to get tickets,” Ramanujam said. “Hosting this World Cup in the United States is a remarkable milestone.”
more:US to co-host 2024 Cricket World Cup: See ICC Men’s T20 match schedule, groups and host city
What are the rules of cricket?
For the uninitiated, cricket originated in 16th century England and is played by hitting the ball with a paddle-shaped bat. Unlike baseball, the team on the field attempts to throw the ball past the batter by bouncing it on the ground (called a pitch) and hitting the wicket behind the batter to induce an out ( called bowling).
During a period of play called an over, the ball is bowled six times to players standing in an area called the crease. Once the over is complete, on the other side of the pitch he will be batted in turn by his second player, who is standing 66 feet away.
Similar to baseball, batters want to hit the ball and score while avoiding outs. A player can score between 1 and 6 points depending on where on the field the ball is hit, unless a fielder catches the ball.
To win, one team must score more points than the other team. The team has 11 of his players. After one team’s players see his 10 players come out, the other team bats. Each team plays sessions called innings. Matches can last several hours or days, depending on the format. The upcoming World Cup matches will be played in T20 format, which means 20 overs.
The first international cricket match was held in New York
The sport began in 1844 with the first international cricket match between the United States and Canada at St. George’s Cricket Club in Manhattan, and grew in popularity outside of England. In 1859, England’s players also stopped in Hoboken on their tour of North America. Cricket has been played in the United States since the early 1700s, but was overtaken in popularity by baseball after the Civil War.
The sport became popular again in the United States in the 1950s due to an influx of immigrants from the West Indies and South Asia, where cricket was a national pastime. These immigrants have given cricket a foothold in its new home, as evidenced by the inclusion of his T20 cricket in the upcoming World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Spurring the popularity of cricket in the United States
Ramanujam said he hopes the tournament will increase the popularity of the sport in the United States and encourage towns in the tri-state region to develop and maintain more cricket fields.
“The big issue in America right now is the availability of cricket fields,” Ramanujam said. “It costs money to maintain, but I believe this World Cup will help in that respect as well.”
He is also looking forward to meeting some of the world’s best players, including his favorite Indian star Virat Kohli.
Kohli is also another cricket fan favorite from North Jersey. Last year, Paterson resident Afzal Hussain helped found the New Jersey Royals Premier Cricket League, a local venture that plays games at Paterson’s Westside Park. Hussain, who is originally from Bangladesh and plays in various cricket leagues in the region, described the T20 World Cup as an “ice-breaking” tournament and a great introduction to American shores for international cricket fans.
World Cup Draw: India vs Pakistan, Virat Kohli
“We know a lot of people who tour the United States, especially the New York area, and that makes these games more exciting,” Hussain said. “We’re going to see people come to places like Australia, New Zealand, Guyana, Jamaica and South Africa that they never thought of visiting before.”
Hussain said he was waiting for an email to let him know if he had gotten tickets for the June 10 match between Bangladesh and South Africa and the high-profile match between India and Pakistan the day before. He wants to see his favorite players, including Pakistan stars Babar Azam and Shahid Afridi, and Kohli and Mohammed Siraj from the Indian side, take part in the match.
“It would be a dream come true to have a player like Virat Kohli playing in front of me and showing off shots like cover drives and long drives. I would love to see him do that,” Hussain said.
This article includes reporting from USA TODAY.
Ricardo Caulesser covers race, immigration and culture for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, subscribe or activate your Digital His account today. t
Email: kaulessar@northjersey.com
Twitter: @ricardokaul
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