Former West Indies cricketer Chris Gayle is hopeful that the T20 World Cup can open doors for cricket in the lucrative American sports market, taking the sport to new global heights. The T20 World Cup, starting on June 1, will be co-hosted by the US and Gayle’s homeland, the West Indies, with high attendance anticipated.
This event marks the first major international cricket tournament in the US, with a full house expected for the India-Pakistan face-off at a temporary 34,000-seat stadium in Long Island, New York. Gayle credits the inaugural Major League Cricket last year for establishing a cricket presence in the US.
In an interview with AFP, Gayle mentioned the ICC’s efforts to globalize cricket in the US, emphasizing the potential of the India-Pakistan match in New York. He expressed optimism, pointing to last year’s successful T20 tournament in the US and highlighting the country’s vast market potential.
While the West Indies boasts a strong record in limited-overs cricket, securing victories in the first two men’s ODI World Cups in 1975 and 1979, they didn’t qualify for the last 50-over tournament in India.
