The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 tournament started this month. There’s a considerable buzz over the venues of the World Cup. The group stage matches will be played in USA and West Indies venues with the Super Eight and beyond moving exclusively to the Caribbeans. Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s T20 World Cup venues.
Venues in the USA
Central Broward Park – Florida
Central Broward Park in Lauderhill, Florida is one of two dedicated cricket stadiums in the USA. The stadium started operating on 9th November 2007 at a construction cost of 70 million USD with a capacity of 25,000.
Central Broward Park marks a lot of firsts for US Cricket. It’s the first pitch to receive ICC certification, the first stadium in the USA to host a T20 series in 2010, and USA’s first ODI series which also marked the home country’s first ODI win.
The stadium will host 4 group-stage games in the World Cup including one each of the USA, India, and Pakistan along with three warm-up matches.
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Nassau County International Cricket Stadium – New York
The Nassau County International Cricket Stadium is a modular stadium made specifically for the T20 World Cup. The stadium is situated on the grounds of Eisenhower Park in East Meadow, New York. After the World Cup, the outfield is slated to be left intact as a legacy of the event.
The stadium's design was unveiled by ICC on 17th January 2024 with a seating capacity of 34,000. It was officially inaugurated by Usain Bolt on 15th May.
The stadium will host 8 group stage matches including the high voltage India vs Pakistan on 9th June.
Grand Prairie Stadium – Texas
Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas, Texas is the second of the two dedicated cricket stadiums in the USA. The stadium used to be the home ballpark of Texas AirHogs. After the AirHogs folded in 2020, American Cricket Enterprise acquired the lease of the stadium with a 20 million USD redevelopment program. It has a seating capacity of 15,000.
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The stadium will feature 4 matches of the World Cup including Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka on 7th June. The host country USA also has two matches scheduled against Canada and Pakistan here.
Venues in the West Indies
Sir Vivian Richards Stadium – Antigua and Barbuda
Sir Vivian Richards stadium is located in North Sound, St. George. The stadium was established in 2006 for the 2007 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. It has a seating capacity of 10,000 with possible arrangements for capacity extensions.
The stadium will feature 8 games with 4 group matches and 4 super eight matches. Notable group matches include Australia vs Namibia and England vs Namibia on the 11th and 15th of June respectively.
One of the best things about Sir Vivian Richards stadium is the in-house food. Spectators can enjoy the signature local lobster, ducana, saltfish, pepperpot, and jerk chicken on the stadium grounds.
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Kensington Oval – Barbados
Kensington Oval is the premier and the oldest cricket stadium in Barbados. The stadium was built in 1871 and has since featured local and international games in its illustrious run. It is currently under the management of the Barbados Cricket Association and has a seating arrangement of around 28,000.
Kensington Oval will host 9 matches in the tournament including the all-important final. There will be 5 group stage matches including the high voltage England vs Australia on 8th June. The stadium will also feature 3 Super Eight stage matches.
The majority of the concessionaires will be situated at the western concourse of the stadium. Additionally, each stand will have its own food operations.
Guyana National Stadium – Guyana
The Guyana National Stadium was constructed in 2006 ahead of the 2007 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. The stadium has a capacity of around 20,000 and can be converted into a multi-use facility in addition to a cricket stadium. The ground is most notable for the 2007 World Cup match between Sri Lanka and South Africa where the Sri Lankan pacer Lasith Malinga took 4 consecutive wickets in 4 balls, a first in cricketing history.
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Guyana National Stadium will host 6 matches in the T20 World Cup. Five of these matches will be group stage ones and the 2nd semi-final on 27th June.
Daren Sammy Cricket Ground – St. Lucia
The Daren Sammy Cricket Ground is situated in Gros Islet, St. Lucia. The stadium was founded in 2002 and has a seating capacity of around 15,000.
The stadium holds the prestigious position as a standard for all current and future stadiums in the Caribbean owing to its high facilities. This year, the stadium will host 6 games of the World Cup with 3 group-stage games and 3 Super Eight games. One of the group stages games will feature the host West Indies taking on Afghanistan on 17th June.
The stadium itself has several food stalls offering meats, seafood, Halal, vegan, vegetarian options, snacks, and desserts.
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Arnos Vale Ground – St. Vincent and Grenadines
Arnos Vale Stadium is located in Kingstown, St. Vincent. The stadium held its first international match back in 1981. Today the stadium is part of the Arnos Vale Sports Complex and works as a multi-sports ground. This is the same stadium where Bangladesh recorded their maiden test victory over West Indies in 2009.
The Arnos Vale stadium will feature 3 group stages and 2 Super Eight matches. Bangladesh will face the Netherlands and Nepal in this stadium on the 13th and 16th of June respectively.
Brian Lara Cricket Academy – Trinidad and Tobago
Brian Lara Cricket Academy stadium is situated in Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago. The stadium was inaugurated in 2017. Initially, the plan was to inaugurate the stadium for the warm-up matches of the 2007 Men’s Cricket World Cup. However, the plan was later postponed. The stadium has a total capacity of around 15,000.
The ground will host 4 group stage matches and the first semifinal on 26th June. The stadium also hosted 4 warm-up matches leading up to the World Cup.
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The stadium offers a unique gastronomic experience with Indo-Caribbean dishes, creoles, and local favorite “Bake n Shark”.
Final Words
In addition to the 9 stadiums listed above, Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad and Tobago was also selected to host 4 warm-up games leading up to the main event. It’s a unique opportunity as ICC plans to make a resounding impact on cricket in North America with this mega event.
One thing to note is that no food and beverages are allowed in any of the USA stadiums. But thankfully, every ground will have cart operations right outside the stadium premises.
With the event already underway, all eyes are now on the USA and West Indies to see who becomes the champion of the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Read more: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024: Groups, Match Fixtures, and Venues