Will the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 be the catalyst for cricket finally becoming popular in the US? | ICC Men’s T20 World Cup

Is cricket really coming to America?

This game has been hoping to conquer dreamland for a long time, and there could be no better opportunity for it to finally achieve greatness.

The United States is hosting 16 matches of the latest ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, raising hopes that cricket can finally make major inroads in the lucrative and populous market.

The stars seem to be aligning: Following the T20 World Cup, the second edition of the privately run Major League Cricket franchise tournament will bring the sport’s biggest stars to the U.S. And in 2028, cricket will be featured at the Los Angeles Olympics for the first time since 1900.

But American cricket has a history of poor governance, including factionalism and financial mismanagement, and the sport’s growth has been hindered by the country’s size and diverse cricket culture, factors that could also be seen as potential strengths.

Here is a brief history of cricket in the United States and its future.

Does America have a cricket culture?

When the United States and Canada face off in the opening match on June 1, there will be plenty of reminders of the first international cricket match between the two countries in 1844, a two-day match won by Canada.

However, the game took a back seat until the second half of the 20th century, when increasing immigration (especially from the Indian subcontinent) led to the game growing, almost coherently, in Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi and Caribbean communities.

Does America have a cricket association?

The national governing body, the United States Cricket Association (USACA), was founded in 1965 but struggled for the next three decades to unify a diverse and fragmented cricket community.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has at times imposed sanctions, such as withdrawing the United States from tournaments, withholding funds or suspending them, but none of these have addressed the underlying problem.

In 2017, USACA was expelled from the ICC.

So who is in charge now?

A new governing body, USA Cricket (USAC), was formed in 2019 and the US formally rejoined the ICC as an associate member. There was a new board and a new constitution, but fundamental questions of geography, culture and power struggles remained.

The following year, after carrying out an extensive study of potential expansion markets, the ICC identified the United States as cricket’s most desirable target, primarily due to its size, economy, broadcasting market and existing cricket infrastructure and culture.

Who is running the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup?

The decision to host the T20 World Cup matches in the United States was just the first step in a long-term strategy.

The addition of the United States to the West Indies’ successful bid to host this year’s tournament presented a golden opportunity to raise the profile of the sport, but the United States Cricket Association has not been in a position to host a major event.

In October 2022, the ICC set up its own regional organising committee, T20 USA Inc, to oversee the event.

What’s wrong with American cricket?

• In the five years since its founding, USA Cricket has had few full-time staff and, at times, none at all, relying instead on a combination of temporary contractors, consultants and volunteers.
• It has faced multiple sanctions from the ICC and had its funding suspended in 2022.
• It is currently operating without a CEO.
• The selection process for the T20 World Cup squad was mired in controversy, with a number of eligible players being excluded.
• Former Australian international Stuart Law was appointed head coach in mid-April.

How good is America’s T20 World Cup team?

On the field, the team is on a promising trajectory having dominated Canada 4-0 and defeated Bangladesh 2-1 in a bilateral T20 series.

These results are surprising considering the U.S. hasn’t played a T20 international since the World Cup qualifiers in July 2022. The national men’s team has played just seven T20Is outside of qualifiers since USA Cricket was recognized. Since the start of 2022, they have played a total of 12 T20Is. By comparison, Nepal has played 36 in the same period.

Has the situation improved since the US was announced as co-host?

Publicly available minutes of USAC board meetings show that the conflict off the field continues to escalate.

The biggest cricket tournament in US history has been hit by a constitutional dispute, allegations of racism and disagreements over the process for selecting a new CEO.

A lawsuit filed by two board members against five other board members and the former CEO was dismissed in 2022, but in 2023, former USA captain and league director Sushil Nadkarni filed another lawsuit against USAC.

At the most recent board meeting on March 27, Chairman Venu Pisike “reaffirmed that board members must conduct themselves professionally and not disrupt board proceedings or be disrespectful to other board members.”

How will cricket grow after the T20 World Cup?

Amid concerns over USAC’s governance, the ICC is forging ahead with plans to create a lasting legacy for the T20 World Cup: Revenues from matches to be played in Nassau County (New York), Broward County (Florida) and Grand Prairie (Texas) will be funneled towards growing cricket in the United States.

The ICC’s games development programme, Playground to Podium, aims to put the games in the hands of one million children – half of whom will be girls – by the time of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, and Farah Ghorsi, regional development manager for the Americas, is confident of success.

“By the time of the Los Angeles Games, it will be thriving in at least three cities,” Golsi told Al Jazeera. “And [it] It creates a framework that will be rolled out to each state.

“If we want to see different communities in the U.S. grow cricket, it has to happen organically through schools, new leaders, new communities, parents and teachers.”

Gorschi says the complexity of the U.S. sports system requires a targeted, flexible approach in each region as the ICC deploys resources in the three host cities first, developing facilitators and coaches through an entry-level training program called Criiiio, with a long-term plan to penetrate the collegiate system, which is key for all sports in the U.S.

Is there any way to improve the situation?

The ICC has expressed its concerns to USAC and set a July deadline for it to appoint a CEO. The ICC can impose sanctions of varying severity, but pressure will also come from the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC).

To be recognised as cricket’s national governing body, USAC must meet the USOPC’s strict criteria and standards.

As for legacy programs, the ICC has yet to discuss a timeframe or mechanism for handing over the development programs and their funding to USA Cricket in the future, and Golsi said he hopes that will eventually happen but acknowledges there are significant hurdles to overcome.

“I don’t want to be rude, but they continue to claim it as if it’s their sport,” Gorsi said.

“If we grow it organically, it will grow faster. We need to take the shackles off and make it fun and accessible across the country.”

“Once we can remove some of those barriers and allow American audiences to participate in this great game that we all love, I think the popularity will grow exponentially.”