Eisenhower Park in East Meadow will be one of the hosts of the International Cricket Council Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
The United States segment of the competition, which is the third most-watched sporting event worldwide, is scheduled for June 2024. A temporary cricket stadium with a seating capacity of 34,000 will be built within Eisenhower Park in an area behind the Aquatic Center and near the Harry Chapin Theatre. Additional host venues within the United States will be in Grand Prairie in Dallas, Texas, and Broward County, Florida.
According to the International Cricket Council (ICC) website, the Eisenhower Park facility will be a “cricketing hub, offering fans an unparalleled viewing experience.” It noted that the park’s proximity to Manhattan will provide “easy access to fans from across the New York metropolitan area.”
The stadium was initially proposed to be built at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, but faced significant opposition from the community.
Cricket is a bat-and-ball sport with a rich history, known for its strategic gameplay and global popularity. It is particularly popular in India, Australia, England, and Pakistan. In the United States, cricket has been around longer than baseball, with historical documentation chronicling that it was played as far back as 1709.