debut: 8/9/14
18,708 runs
PETER DELLA PENNA WROTE:
Immediately after USA beat Pakistan at the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup, members of the USA team were invited to come to be interviewed live in studio in New York City on ABC's Good Morning America, the highest rated morning TV news/variety program in the USA. Remember, USA played Pakistan in Dallas, but they flew to New York shortly after the match ended and were going to be in New York for the following week until they were scheduled to play India.
Despite USA having five days off in between the Pakistan match on June 6 and the India match on June 12, USA administrators rejected the offer from ABC and Good Morning America producers for their players to be featured on the show live in studio. Allegedly, a USA Cricket administrator responsible for making the decision stated that he did not want anyone on the team having their sleep and training schedule disrupted ahead of the India match. ABC/GMA producers wanted the players at their downtown New York City studio by 6 am to prep for the start of the show's live taping at 7 am, and this would have meant that players would have needed to leave the team hotel in Long Island by 5 am in order to beat traffic and get to ABC's downtown New York City studios in time. USA's daily practice/training sessions in Long Island all took place after 12 pm in the lead up to the India match for the five days they were in New York before the India match.
Upon further anecdotal evidence, it is more likely that certain players all-night drinking sessions would have had to be curtailed at 5 am, rather than anyone struggling to be awake and alert for the ABC taping at 7 am, and then still be fresh enough to train in the afternoon. Whatever reason you want to believe as to why the GMA invitation was rejected by USA Cricket, it was another blown opportunity to gain new fans, build awareness and capitalize on an incredible American mainstream PR opportunity to grow cricket in the USA.
Despite USA having five days off in between the Pakistan match on June 6 and the India match on June 12, USA administrators rejected the offer from ABC and Good Morning America producers for their players to be featured on the show live in studio. Allegedly, a USA Cricket administrator responsible for making the decision stated that he did not want anyone on the team having their sleep and training schedule disrupted ahead of the India match. ABC/GMA producers wanted the players at their downtown New York City studio by 6 am to prep for the start of the show's live taping at 7 am, and this would have meant that players would have needed to leave the team hotel in Long Island by 5 am in order to beat traffic and get to ABC's downtown New York City studios in time. USA's daily practice/training sessions in Long Island all took place after 12 pm in the lead up to the India match for the five days they were in New York before the India match.
Upon further anecdotal evidence, it is more likely that certain players all-night drinking sessions would have had to be curtailed at 5 am, rather than anyone struggling to be awake and alert for the ABC taping at 7 am, and then still be fresh enough to train in the afternoon. Whatever reason you want to believe as to why the GMA invitation was rejected by USA Cricket, it was another blown opportunity to gain new fans, build awareness and capitalize on an incredible American mainstream PR opportunity to grow cricket in the USA.
