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The upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 has been generating significant buzz, despite being almost four months away. The ninth edition of this quadrennial event will be held in the islands of the West Indies, alongside, marking the first time the tournament is hosted in the United States of America (USA). With 20 teams competing in the 55-match tournament across nine venues, each game promises to be an exciting encounter.
Ricky Ponting pinpoints the game he’s keen on watching
Former captain of Australia, Ricky Ponting has singled out a particular match that he is eagerly anticipating in the mega event scheduled for June. Ponting expressed his excitement for the India-Pakistan group clash set to take place in New York on June 9, believing that this match will contribute to cricket’s growth in the United States in the coming years.
Ponting reflects on past encounters in T20 World Cup
In a recent conversation with host Sanjana Ganesan on The ICC Review, Ponting reminisced about the epic encounter between India and Pakistan during the 2022 T20 World Cup held at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. In the game Virat Kohli played an unbelieveable unbeaten knock of 82 runs, which led India to victory against their arch-rivals.
“I’ve seen it firsthand here in Australia, in Melbourne last time around, where there were 95,000 people in the stadium and another 50,000 people outside the stadium. You can imagine what it’s going to be like in New York. So, really exciting times for the world game,” Ponting said.
Also READ: Martin Guptill picks the semifinalists of T20 World Cup 2024
Hopes for cricket’s growth in the USA
Ponting further emphasized his desire to see the game expand in the US and expects a positive reception for the T20 World Cup, given the influx of expatriates and cricket enthusiasts in the region.
“I think there’s a great opportunity to continue to grow and promote the game in that part of the world. And that’s a big part of the reason that I took the coaching job at Washington Freedom, to be a part of that sort of movement to grow the game in the US. There’s obviously so many expat Indians, West Indians, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans, and Afghans in that part of the world that we know that they will continue to promote the game. But what we have to do is get the Americans into loving and understanding the game of cricket,” the 49-year-old concluded.
