The ICC 2024 T20 World Cup will be hosted by the West Indies and The United States from 4th June to 38th June 2024. Here is a look at the venues that will host this ICC event both in the Caribbean Islands and the United States.

 Presented By : Raghunath Nair

Introduction

The ICC 2024 ICC T20 Men’s World Cup will feature 20 international teams.

England is the defending champions, having won the previous edition by defeating Pakistan in the final.

The tournament will see 20 teams as compared to 16 teams in the 2022 edition.

In April 2023 Cricket West Indies began the process of selecting venues to host matches for the World Cup. ICC also short-listed venues in the United States.

The United States venues –

• Central Broward Park in Florida
• Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas
• Eisenhower Park in Long Island.

7 venues were shortlisted for the Caribbean Islands –

• Antigua & Barbuda: Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. North Sound
• Barbados: Kensington Oval, Bridgetown
• Dominica: Windsor Park, Roseau
• Guyana: Providence Stadium, Providence
• St Lucia: Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, Gros-Islet
• Trinidad & Tobago: Arnos Vale Stadium, Kingstown
• St Vincent & The Grenadines: Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain

Antigua & Barbuda:  Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. North Sound

This stadium was built for the 2007 Cricket World Cup hosting the super eight matches. Named after the Cricketing Legend Sir Vivian Richards, the stadium has a capacity of 30,000 people. The stadium is one of the few state-of-the-art venues that has underground passageways for the cricket teams to move.

Barbados: Kensington Oval, Bridgetown

The Kensington Oval has posted many important and historic games in the last 120 years. The ground offers a balanced surface for both batters and bowlers. The stadium holds 28,000 seats. This stadium was rebuilt for the 2007 Cricket World Cup.

Dominica: Windsor Park, Roseau

It is a multipurpose stadium and is mainly used for cricket and football. The stadium is of ICC international standards with facilities featuring 12000 seats and other facilities. In exchange for severing diplomatic ties with Taiwan, the Government of China donated this stadium.

Guyana: Providence Stadium, Providence

The stadium has 3 major stands a grass mound that can accommodate 4000 fans and has a total capacity of 4000 seats. It is also part of the 2007 World Cup stadiums for the superhit matches.

St Lucia: Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, Gros-Islet

The Daren Sammy stadium has a seating capacity of 15,000. It has 18 hospitality suites and a pavilion that offers each team its gym, and lounge along with a balcony and conference room.

It is named after Daren Sammy, the West Indian captain who captained the 2016 World Cup-winning team. It is known for its high-standard facilities and has set a high standard for newer venues.

Trinidad & Tobago: Arnos Vale Stadium, Kingstown

The Arnos Vale Stadium is a cricket ground in Arnos Vale, near Kingstown, St. Vincent. It has a capacity of 18000 seats. It is a multisport stadium with cricket and football games being regularly hosted.

Like other stadiums, this ground too got a facelift before the 2007 World Cup.

St Vincent & The Grenadines: Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain

The Queen’s Park Oval is considered one of the most picturesque cricket venues on the Caribbean Island.

It is the second biggest stadium on the islands and has a seating capacity of 20000 spectators.

It has hosted more Test matches than any other ground in the Caribbean.

The cricket field has also been used to host several domestic and international football matches and several music events.

The Host Nation: A Peek into the Country’s Cricket Legacy

West Indies cricket was once the undisputed cricket champions in the 70s to early 90s. The current cricket of the Caribbean Island is a mere shadow of their glorious past.

The Windies dominated the game for almost two decades in both formats of cricket till the Australians took over the leadership role in the world of cricket.

While West Indies cricket is not a formidable test team today, it however is one of the most dangerous teams in the T20 format. With infights amongst the cricket boards and players, many players preferred to ignore West Indies cricket and focussed on T20 Franchise cricket. These players are the most sought-after players in all major T20 Franchise tournaments.

The charisma, punk, and flair that were associated with the Caribbean style of playing are still seen in the T20 Format and the crowds come to see the same. The game of cricket is still very popular on the Islands.

The current Windies team has been a team to be feared in the T20 format due to their unpredictability. They can turn up one day beating the best and can shock fans losing to minnows.

West Indies, with their explosive style of play, clinched the T20 World Cup title twice, in 2012 and 2016, showcasing their prowess in the shortest format

Being host to the 2024 edition will be motivation enough for West Indies to look for their 3rd World T20 Championship.

Economic Impact: The World Cup’s Effect on the Host Nation

The World Cup, to be played between June 4 and June 3 0, will have 20 teams playing a total of 55 matches across ten venues in the Caribbean and the USA. The event will be the third time a men’s World Cup will be held in the West Indies, and the first in 14 years. The Caribbean previously hosted the 2007 ODI World Cup and the 2010 T20 World Cup. Currently struggling with their finances, the West Indies cricket can benefit from this world event as 20 cricketing nations will participate in this mega event, which will be televised across the Globe.