World-class cricket is finally coming to the United States with “three or four” matches being planned for south Florida next year, a top Caribbean official told Reuters yesterday.

The matches will be Twenty20 fixtures, the relatively new form of cricket that takes just three hours -- shorter than an average Major League Baseball game.

They will be part of the Caribbean Premier League T20, a competition which is gearing up for its third season and already has celebrity involvement, with Hollywood actor Mark Wahlberg among the franchise owners.

“The plan is for three or four matches in Fort Lauderdale,” Caribbean Premier League CEO Damien O’Donohoe told Reuters in a telephone interview.

O’Donohoe, who hopes to establish a full-time franchise in North America, said next year’s matches would be played at the Central Broward Stadium in Lauderhill, the only internationally certified cricket ground in the United States.

O’Donohoe is confident that the large Caribbean community in south Florida will pack out the stadium, which holds less than 10,000 people, but he is hopeful that Americans will also attend.

“Americans love watching the best players in the world. If anyone’s in position to give it a shot, we’re best positioned,” he said.

 

read more at Trinidad Express

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Interesting.

In reply to don1

Yep, that has been the plan all along
A good plan. Major tv revenue in that.

In reply to don1

Great news!

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

Americans don't watch shit. The stadium will be filled with Indians, Pakistanis and WestIndians.

In reply to gvenkat

Well this explains why the Americans wont come to watch.

It's the best course to take, although as gvenkat points out, most of the fans are likely first or second generation immigrants from the Subcontinent or Windies.

Getting Americans who don't have a cricket culture of their own, interested in the sport, is going to be hard work. But it's a start, if they can do it. Still think they should push to establish a new franchise out of Florida. Send a note to Shad Khan of the Jags or to the Dolphins' ownership. Between Khan's Pakistani heritage and the celebrity names associated with Miami, you could very well pique somebody's interest.

In reply to gvenkat

Those the kind of Americans he mean lol
Cause only them with American passports, american birth certificates and american residency will be there.
lol

I agree that it will be Indians, Pakistanis and West Indians who will mainly attend the matches. But this will not change for many many many years until it become apart of the US culture as someone stated.

Even the kids who born to WI parents in the US have no interest in cricket.
Cricket has to be introduced into the schools for the mass Americans to get a taste of it. Once they acquired a taste, which will take many years, then a culture could begin to incubate. But even if it's not fully accepted in the short to medium term you would at least start to develop a following by those who taste it in school.

More importantly, the school kids who advanced to the US select teams at the different age would then bring the sports into the house holds and their parents, extended families and friends are now fully involved. This is when we can say a culture is developing.

In reply to Stumpoff

Bingo. I think there have been some efforts in some places to do just that, time will tell if grassroots development will take root, so to speak.

I recall the same thing was to happen in Canada last time.

all it takes is a few hollywood stars and Shah Rukh and the bumba clath stadium full. is greenbacks one way or another.........no rupees

plus bring cameras and Bravo/Polly/Gayle will hop skip dance and sing!!!

last time WI played NZ......the stadiums overflowed. no?

In reply to Disciple

...but Windies, Pak and Ind are Americans (if they are citizens)...so Americans will be there

In reply to osrlive

Yes, I was there.

Jack may be in de states next year!! Dis is a show for Jack!!