Tournament director Fawwaz Baksh said the June Twenty20 World Cup will be a Caribbean-themed party that will help establish cricket in the U.S.
Tournament director calls T20 World Cup a purposeful party
Six Caribbean countries and the US will co-host the event, a market cricket’s leaders believe is essential for its worldwide growth outside Commonwealth countries. Baksh believes making the global showpiece. It is with a large celebration is the best approach to bring cricket to a packed U.S. sports market. New York, Miami, and Dallas will host 16 matches.
“West Indies and USA are a winning combination,” the Guyanese sports executive told Reuters.
“West Indians are known for their party and good times. Fans should expect that when they watch sports here.
“So come here to watch great cricket, but come here also to have a great experience.”
Ticket sales are good. Thus, the public ballot opened last week and received over 1.2 million applications from 126 nations in the first 48 hours, Baksh added.
The 2007 West Indies 50-overs World Cup had low attendance, but Baksh said Caribbean organisers learned from their mistake. The U.S. and West Indies contributed 900,000. Tickets for this year’s tournament start at $6. The 43-year-old thinks the World Cup can define future global tournaments.
“If you want to introduce the sport in the U.S., if you want to revitalise cricket in the West Indies, you have to get the fans here,” said.
“And the only way you can get the fans here is by making tickets attractive, making them accessible.”
“We all wanted this tournament here, and we all want to capitalise on it,” Baksh.
“After the event, the world will declare, ‘T20 World Cup should only be hosted in the West Indies and the U.S.’
“That’s our goal and that’s what we’re going to make it.”
