T20 World Cup 2024: New York’s 34,000-seater Eisenhower Park ready for power packed action

Eisenhower Park in New York is poised to make history as the first modular stadium in international cricket, just in time for the T20 World Cup. With a seating capacity of 34,000, the venue, located approximately 25 miles east of New York City, was officially inaugurated by none other than Usain Bolt, the world’s fastest man and a World Cup ambassador.

As preparations ramp up for the tournament, the ICC will conduct test events at Eisenhower Park, leading up to the highly anticipated World Cup, set to commence on June 1 in the West Indies and the USA. New York will play host to eight of the 16 matches, with Dallas and Texas also hosting four matches each.

The action at Eisenhower Park kicks off on June 3 with a thrilling match between South Africa and Sri Lanka. Additionally, a warm-up match is scheduled for June 1, featuring Bangladesh and India. During the main event, India are set to play three games in New York, including a blockbuster clash against Pakistan on June 9.

The construction of Eisenhower Park’s stadium, a monumental undertaking by the ICC, transformed ordinary parkland into a state-of-the-art cricket venue in just five months. The project involved the installation of drop-in pitches from Florida, transported and integrated into the main square and practice areas.

Chris Tetley, ICC’s head of events, expressed pride in the transformation, highlighting the collaboration with Adelaide Oval Turf Solutions and LandTek Group for pitch preparation and outfield construction, respectively.

“We’ve turned what was park land and an informal cricket ground into what you’ll agree looks like a world-class cricket stadium that you might find anywhere,” Chris Tetley, ICC’s head of events, said in a media interaction on Tuesday.

In the lead-up to the tournament, community cricket events will be held at Eisenhower Park to test operational logistics and resource management. Tetley assured cricket enthusiasts that the venue will witness competitive cricket before the official matches begin.

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While anticipation runs high for the India vs Pakistan match, Tetley mentioned that limited tickets are still available for all eight matches in New York. He encouraged fans to seize the opportunity to be part of the historic event, emphasizing that tickets are selling fast.

“There are still limited opportunities for people to buy tickets to any of the matches,” he said. “A few tickets and hospitality to all games have been made available, and will be made available as we get the odd returns back from allocations that have had to be withheld.

“So much as I’d like it to be a sellout, right now, not quite. So the last few tickets are available for those that get online quickly,” he added.

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