Usain Bolt joined by cricket legends, New York sports stars for first look at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium

Usain Bolt. (Photo Source: ICC)

The first guests took their seats at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York with ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Ambassador Usain Bolt joined by cricket legends, Team USA and New York sports stars to usher in a world first for cricket.

The first look of the view from some of the best seats in the house officially started the final countdown to the first ICC Men’s T20 World Cup fixture in New York, featuring 2014 champions Sri Lanka and South Africa on 3 June.

Bolt got the first glimpse of the new stadium along with USA cricketers Corey Anderson and Monank Patel as well as West Indies legend Sir Curtly Ambrose, 2009 T20 World Cup winner Shoaib Malik from Pakistan, and England’s Liam Plunkett.

To celebrate World Cup cricket coming to the USA for the first time, they were also joined in the stands by Team USA and New York sports stars John Starks (NBA / New York Knicks), Elena Delle Donne (WNBA/USA), Bartolo Colon (MLB/New York Yankees-Mets), Victor Cruz (NFL/New York Giants), Ibtihaj Muhammad (Fencing/USA). To commemorate the milestone, all the special guests signed a giant cricket bat, which will remain at the venue for the eight matches being hosted at the event from 3-12 June.

Limited general admission tickets remain available for the opening match in New York, and tickets inclusive of food and beverage are also available for all games in Nassau County, including India against Pakistan. Fans should not miss out on a chance to be a part of history with the first ICC World Cup matches being played in New York. 

Today’s event is the latest milestone for the Nassau County venue where construction began in January and is set to host eight World Cup matches in June. The world-class 34,000-seater temporary stadium is the first of its kind for international cricket and is believed to be the largest ever constructed in the United States.

In addition to the east and west general admission stands which rise to more than 20 metres, and include views of the Manhattan skyline, extensive hospitality and media pavilions on the north and south ends of the venue have been constructed and were featured in the unveiling. The latest additions are the Cabana seats in the north pavilion along with the Corner Club seats with a private party area displaying a truly American experience, including elevated food and beverage and some of the some of the best views of the grounds.

The venue also features a world-class playing surface, the outfield surrounds 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 made the 1000-mile journey to New York, were installed by crane into the venue, and are being prepared ahead of the event.

Two other venues will host matches in the United States, with the opening fixture of the T20 World Cup to be played between the USA and Canada on 1 June at Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas. Broward County International Stadium will host its first encounter between Sri Lanka and Nepal on 11 June.

The USA are co-hosts for the event with West Indies, with 39 matches to also be played across six Caribbean venues. The Final will be held on 29 June in Barbados.

ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Ambassador Usain Bolt 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. Getting one of the sport’s biggest events into the USA is a big milestone and can provide a launching pad leading towards cricket’s inclusion in the LA Olympics in 2028.

“The new stadium is going to be a fantastic place to watch from. It’s very enclosed and you feel very close to the action. I can imagine it will be full of energy when cricket fans get to Nassau County International Stadium next month.”

T20 USA, Inc. CEO Brett Jones 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 experience it was fantastic and a fitting welcome to cricket in the USA.

“Having Curtley Ambrose, Liam Plunkett, Shoaib Malik, Corey Anderson, and Monank Patel here and seeing their response 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.”