Cricket in the USA on the rise following ODI status following the country gaining its first ever One Day International status for its men’s national team.
The USA recently finished in the top four of the ICC World Cricket League meaning it will able to take part in ODI matches.
“Coming so quickly after our recent admission to the ICC as the 105th Member of the sport, the achievement of One Day International Status for USA Cricket is quite simply game-changing for the landscape of cricket in America. It allows Team USA to be seen as equals with the leading cricketing nations in the world and we are looking forward to not just our upcoming 36 One Day Internationals as part of ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 but also to more challenging fixtures against the top nations in the coming years,” said USA Cricket chairman, Paraag Marathe, who is also president of the NFL’s 49ers Enterprises.
The outcome of the USA’s first ever ODI status means it will receive funding from the ICC in each of the next three years, which will help assist the growth of the sport in the country and the hope of developing new cricket-specific stadia to support it. The hope of all involved will no doubt be that cricket will one day follow a similar rise in popularity that soccer has seen in the US.
“We now have a clear pathway, with fixtures of a significant quality, to allow us to plan for long-term sustainable growth of the sport all across the US. What is most significant I believe though is the ability for children growing up in America to now see cricket as a realistic option for their sporting future,” said USA Cricket project manager, Eric Parthen.
Team USA’s first round of matches in the new ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 will take place in September after the ICC announced the initial rounds of fixtures for the new league this week.
