Time for Cricket in America?
The sport of cricket is gaining popularity in the United States, and South Florida is cashing in. The first stadium in the U.S. to be certified by the International Cricket Council (ICC) was built in Broward County, and in June the venue was one of just three nationwide selected to host matches for the ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup held in the U.S. for the first time.
Cricket, born in England in the 1500s, now ranks as the world’s second-most-watched association sport, trailing only after soccer. So, Broward leaders worked with the ICC and other groups to gear up for the T20 Cup. The county upgraded its stadium and adjoining park, and Visit Lauderdale spread the word. “This cup is important to promote our destination,” Stacy Ritter, Visit Lauderdale president and CEO, told Global Miami.
Unfortunately, three of the four matches set for Broward County Stadium in Lauderhill were canceled after record rains. That meant the T20 Cup likely brought some $2 million-plus in immediate economic impact to the county, instead of the $8 million-plus projected from four matches.
Still, mid-term gains are starting to flow, with more requests to use the multi-purpose stadium both for cricket and other events, says Dan West, director of Broward’s parks and recreation department.
WHY CRICKET IS GROWING IN THE U.S. NOW
Cricket has long been popular in South Florida with its West Indian community, which grew up with the sport in Jamaica, Guyana, Trinidad, and other nations that spent centuries as British colonies. Indeed, Lauderhill sometimes is dubbed “Jamaicahill” for the strong Jamaican and West Indian diaspora there.
But the sport is taking off across the U.S. now because of the surge of a different diaspora, mainly from South Asia and especially India, the world’s most populous nation with 1.4 billion residents. Investors in the U.S., some of Indian heritage, have been pouring billions of dollars into U.S. cricket, even launching a U.S. Major League Cricket association in 2023. Team owners include Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, an India-born engineer who is now a U.S. citizen.
Broward began its cricket push in the 2000s mainly to meet local demand. In 2007, the county opened its top-notch cricket stadium inside its Central Broward Park project, and soon gained ICC certification for the site. That stadium has been hosting international cricket events since, with no rain issues before, says West. Many events were T20 matches, a shortened version of the game drawing new fans.
To prepare for the T20 Cup in June, Broward invested another $11.5 million in the Lauderhill facilities. It increased the stadium’s permanent seating to 8,150 and added modules to hold another 11,000 spectators. It also installed new equipment and enhanced park entrances, among additional improvements, aiming to accommodate cricket, concerts, and other offerings at the multi-purpose stadium.
“Hosting global sports events is not cheap,” concedes West. “But there’s a significant benefit for hotels, restaurants and shopping. And there’s a benefit from new infrastructure that leads to other events and economic impact.” For instance, Los Angeles’ Major League Cricket team trained at the stadium in July.
Of course, cancellations of three Cup matches in Broward sparked some concern. India’s former cricket team captain Sunil Gavaskar asked ICC to require more extensive ground covers at stadiums, not just covers for the main playing area. “So many people were waiting to see top stars in action, but they were denied,” Gavaskar told Indian media. Broward used the ground cover ICC requires, and “if a larger cover is required, we’d be happy to oblige,” West says.
“Our goal is to see a Major League Cricket franchise in Broward, developed with private-sector partners,” says West. The county is obliging by encouraging youth cricket teams, hoping to expand the sport’s allure. “If cricket can be integrated into schools and the community, more people will come out to watch it, and one day, cricket can reach levels like soccer has in the U.S.,” says West.
