Retired West Indies star Chris Gayle is convinced that the Twenty20 (T20) World Cup in June could uplift cricket in the US sports market.
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‘PHENOMENAL’ FOR T20 TO BE STAGED IN THE US
The 44-year-old former all-rounder cited the T20 tournament being co-hosted by the US and West Indies as a big deal to expand cricket’s reach to more countries. The T20 World Cup starting on June 1 is the first-ever major international cricket competition to be hosted in the US.
Gayle found inspiration in the successful staging of last year’s Major League Cricket, a US-based T20 franchise competition. He said the International Cricket Council (ICC) should take the lead from there to ensure the T20 World Cup’s success this year.
“The ICC has been trying to get cricket on a global scale within the USA,” Gayle told AFP while marking 100 days before the start of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
“India v Pakistan is in New York, I’m sure it’s going to be phenomenal,” he added.
BALANCED SCHEDULE SOUGHT FOR STARS TO PLAY
Gayle also cited the need for international cricket officials to balance out the schedule of domestic and international tournaments. A relaxed schedule should lure cricket’s top players to play in both competitions which would benefit the fans, he said.
“There’s just too much cricket and it takes away a bit from international cricket unless there’s two big teams playing,” the Jamaican-born former international cricketer said. “I’m in favor always of the players making their earnings, it’s their livelihood, it’s their job.”
“They (cricket officials) just need to structure a bit better to make sure both teams are competitive when they are going against each other at international level,” Gayle added.
