- author, Timothy Abraham
- role, BBC Sports Journalists at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York
New York is a concrete jungle where dreams are made. there is nothing You can’t do it.
A dazzling, dramatic and thrilling match between India and Pakistan has also been played out, with the two sides seemingly set to jointly host the T20 World Cup.
This was the game. And not just any game, but the game on which the success of this much-hyped U.S. tournament was virtually at stake.
The International Cricket Council will be delighted that the American dream has become a reality, even though rain at one point threatened to derail the match.
Fans were soaked before the match even began, but most didn’t seem the least bit bothered by the lack of a roof over the open stands.
“Who cares about the weather? We’re going to watch Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah!” an excited Arjun, who lives in New Jersey, said after the rain let up.
He was one of 34,028 people who packed into the $32 million temporary stadium. Whether the event turns a profit or not, it is likely to accelerate the resurgence of cricket in the United States.
The demand to watch India vs Pakistan matches was such that tickets were sold out multiple times.
Citi Field, home of the New York Mets baseball team, is open for fans who can’t get into Nassau County International Cricket Stadium and watch the game on a big screen.
There’s no fee, but MLB’s marketers are not shying away from it. Just as the ICC is gunning for a slice of the American market, cricket’s cousin MLB is desperate to grab a share of the South Asian market.
“Ticket prices for this game were a little high but I think it’s a matter of supply and demand,” said Irfan, a Pakistani fan who drove overnight from Toronto to watch the match.
He was one of the lucky few who won the draw – others paid up to $2,000 (around £1,571) on resale platforms, but prices dropped significantly as the match drew closer.
This situation is fuelled by the enthusiasm of South Asian migrants in the US to play, watch and spectate cricket matches in the US.
Hafeez, a Pakistan fan from Coventry, won tickets in a contest and then sat on the steps of the stand with his five-month-old baby in a pram to watch the game unfold in the centre.
“You just see the passion of the fans and you see what cricket means,” he said.
Image source, Getty Images
The temporary stadium at Eisenhower Park also saw the removal of plastic wrapping from the comfortable seats in the corporate section, which have rarely been used during previous games.
Busloads of cricketing greats arrived for the day, Sachin Tendulkar was surrounded by crowds, Bollywood stars mingled and Nobel Prize-winning activist Malala Yousafzai campaigned for Pakistan.
Chris Gayle, wearing a dazzling all-white suit with orange and green for India on one sleeve and green for Pakistan on the other, stalked the outfield with a beaming smile and even asked players to sign his suit.
It was rude, bossy and full of flamboyance – and even ringmaster Ravi Shastri’s performance at the toss was several notches above it.
Coming here is also attractive to players from India and Pakistan, and not just because it would help grow their national brand in the United States.
Kohli and his Bollywood superstar wife Anushka Sharma have managed to sneak out for coffee in New York in recent days – something almost unthinkable back home.
Security was extremely tight: sniper dogs, bomb disposal experts, military armored vehicles, helicopters circling the ground, surveillance teams, members of every conceivable police department, and even secret snipers.
“The Super Bowl on steroids” is how Nassau County Mayor Bruce Blakeman, one of the key figures in bringing the event to New York, described the security preparations for the event.
After all, everything is bigger in America.
So what happens now? The star-studded Major League Cricket will step in to fill the void, with this year’s tournament due to begin just days after the World Cup ends.
A delegation from the International Olympic Committee has been in New York over the past few days, touring the city’s temporary stadium and meeting with various stakeholders.
You can be sure that the India vs Pakistan match in Los Angeles in 2028 is definitely within their sights.
It will be necessary to watch this space to see what happens in the US in the meantime.
Image source, Getty Images