T20 World Cup 2024 in USA: Reviving cricket's lost legacy

New York has been the epicentre of global business and finance for ages. Enticing corporate czars and political heads alike, it always attracts the best of talent, technology and glamour. Many believe that decisions in the ‘Big Apple’ have powerful ramifications that can unsettle international markets and governments. Currently, however, New York is scripting a very special piece of sporting history as America hosts a Cricket World Cup for the first time.

The decision of the International Cricket Council (ICC) to choose the United States of America (USA) and its three cities – New York, Fort Lauderdale and Dallas – for the cricket extravaganza has perplexed many. To most observers, the game seems antithetical to American environs, especially as baseball and basketball dominate the sports scene in USA. However, the doubters and even most cricket lovers hardly know that cricket in USA is over three centuries old and was once more popular than baseball in the fifty-state nation!

USA-Canada cricket match in 1844

As USA hosts the T20 World Cup 2024, it is worth recalling that cricket was once America's favourite pastime and actually predates Baseball. Surprising as it may sound, the first-ever international cricket match was played between USA and Canada in New York in 1844 – much before Australia and England clashed in the first Test match at Melbourne in 1876! Avid storytellers recount that the location of that ‘historic match’ now lies buried beneath the skyscrapers of the posh Manhattan area.

That significant cricket match was played at St. George’s Club in New York nearly 50 years before the revival of the Olympic Games. In the three-day game from September 24 to 26 in 1844, Canada emerged victorious by 23 runs. In a low-scoring contest, while Canada made 82 and 63 in their two innings, USA made just 64 and 58 in their two outings, giving Canada a special place in the pantheon of cricket history. Records show that the Man of the Match (or rather, Hero of the Match, as they then put it) was Canadian all-rounder George Sharpe who scored 12 and 5 and took six wickets in USA’s second innings. Surprisingly, Sharpe did not bowl a single ball in the first innings!

To those who have seen cricket evolve as a huge money spinner in recent decades, especially due to the shorter versions of the game, it may be interesting to note that nearly 5,000 spectators witnessed this historic match. Also, during the three days of the game, over $ 1 lakh were reportedly betted by enthusiastic spectators!

The Canada-USA encounter was a natural outcome of a long tradition of the game that is said to have been played as early as 1709. Archives reveal that the first public account of a cricket match between a team of gentlemen from London and a team of American players was published in the New York Gazette and Weekly Post Boy of 1751.

Effects of Civil War

As Britishers migrated to USA in large numbers, cricket became a much-loved sport and had it not been for the American Civil War from 1861 to 1865, cricket would not have lost out to baseball. Thriving hugely in New York and Philadelphia on account of several private clubs, cricket was the best-known sport and even American President Abraham Lincoln reportedly went to see a cricket match in 1849.

The Civil War, however, suddenly stunted cricket’s growth in USA. It is widely believed that baseball became popular as it did not need an elaborate ground, equipment or preparation like cricket and setting up baseball games was far easier since all that was needed were some wooden clubs, a homemade cloth ball and four pieces of sacks to act as bases. Anecdotal evidence suggests that soldiers played baseball during lulls in the Civil War, which turned it into America’s dominant and ultimately, national sport.

For several decades thereafter, cricket got sidelined as the slower pace of classical cricket did not appeal to the rapid pace of the American lifestyle. Yet, cricket clubs thrived and continued to play the traditional form of cricket without any lucrative earnings. Overall, however, cricket gradually got marginalised in USA. But the advent of T20 cricket, with its shorter and more dynamic format, is likely to make the game more attractive for the average American.

In recent years, there’s been a revival of American interest in the sport largely due to the influx of immigrants from cricket-loving nations of South Asia and the West Indies. The fast-paced thrills of T20 seem to resonate with the modern generation used to the excitement of NBA and NFL and World Cup organisers are hoping to encash the craze for the game’s shortest format to make cricket the next big sport in America.

Cricket to return to Olympics

Already Major League Cricket (MLC) has begun in USA akin to the Indian Premier League (IPL) and big corporates have pumped in money for infrastructure and coaching to trigger a resurgence of cricket in USA. For sceptics, it may be recalled that even football had a meagre presence till 1994 when the FIFA World Cup was staged in America. Ever since, the game has seen a phenomenal rise in popularity and celebrated stars from David Beckham to Lionel Messi have been contracted to play in American football leagues, and USA is emerging as an important force in the world arena.

Of course, the major thrust for cricket in recent years has been provided by the expats from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. This can also be seen clearly in the composition of USA team for this World Cup where many players of India-Pakistan origin are donning colours for the American team. But this scenario may soon change since many native Americans are taking a keener interest in the game. Even the ICC sees huge potential in the American market as an estimated 30 million fans now follow the game in USA.

The T20 World Cup is being regarded as a major stepping stone to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics where cricket will make a comeback after 128 years. The ICC and American organisers believe this World Cup will generate much-needed awareness around the game and the lure of taking part in the 2028 Olympics will attract American masses to the sport in big numbers. Cricket lovers hope the World Cup will catapult the game’s popularity in USA and trigger a brighter future for cricket in America.