The USA is set to co-hosts the T20 World Cup 2024 with its men’s cricket team participating for the first time. The US team’s journey faced setbacks but showed promise in recent years. The USA cricket team automatically qualified for the ICC T20 Men’s cricket tournament 2024 as hosts.
The USA and the West Indies were selected as co-hosts for the global tournament back in November 2021 when the ICC board awarded them the hosting rights. The tournament will be historic in two ways. The USA is not only co-hosting a global event but also has qualified as a participant for the first time. ICC’s decision to schedule the event in the USA aims to promote the gentlemen’s game in the continent and inspire the next generation to play cricket.
The 2024 edition of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will see more than a dozen teams taking part including the USA and Canada.
USA became an Associate member of ICC in 1965 and since then the sport has been slowly growing and it has made rapid advances in the last 10 years. In 2015, the United States of America Cricket Association (USACA) faced ICC suspension due to governance, finance, and cricketing issues, but was lifted in 2019, allowing USA Cricket to join as an associate member. ICC Americas temporarily oversaw the team until USA cricket granted associate membership of the ICC.
Cricket in America is still largely in the shadows of more popular sports like American Football, baseball and basketball. But the USA national cricket team is thriving to beat the odds and make its presence felt on the international stage. The fact that USA will co-host the T20 World Cup 2024 is not just a feather in their cap but also an indication of how far they have come.
The USA may be ranked 19th among the 20 ODI nations and 28th in the T20Is but they are making steady progress in terms of unearthing new talents.
All about USA national cricket team and its history
Cricket in the United States has a long and diverse history, dating back to the 18th century. In 1844, the US played its first international cricket match against Canada, marking the beginning of a long-standing rivalry. The United States made its international tournament debut at the 1979 ICC Trophy in England, it has since missed only two editions of the tournament (now known as the World Cup Qualifier).
During the 19th century, cricket faced a decline in popularity as baseball gained traction. Moreover, cricket in the US remained largely amateur, while other countries like Australia and England were moving towards a professional genre of the game.
Cricket continued to be a major pastime in the United States until the mid 1960s when the ICC stretched its membership to include countries outside the British Empire. This paved the way for the US to participate in international cricket competitions.
In the 21st century, the United States cricket team made steps in various tournaments. They participated in the ICC Trophy and ICC Americas Championship, achieving their best performance in the 2001 ICC Trophy where they finished sixth. In 2004, USA played their first ODI match against New Zealand and in 2005 they had the opportunity to qualify for the World Cup but they fell short.
The team’s fortunes fluctuated over the years with promotions and relegations in different divisions of the ICC tournaments.
The 2019-22 ICC cricket World Cup league 2 became an opportunity for the United States to qualify for the 2022 cricket World Cup qualifier. The team participated in the 2023 cricket World Cup qualifier play-off, marking their first appearance since 2005. The team’s first domestic ODI series began on September 13, 2019, hosting Papua New Guinea and Namibia.
As of 2019, all ICC members were granted Twenty20 International (T20I) status. The United States made its T20I debut on March 15, 2019, against the United Arab Emirates at the ICC Academy Ground in Dubai.
The team has shown a renewed focus on international competition and national sport growth, despite facing challenges throughout its cricketing journey. The exhibition of the world’s best cricketing talent on US soil will act like a springboard for future growth of cricket in the country.
The T20 World Cup will not only promise cricket in the United States but will also boost strategic partnership with the ICC to open new avenues to host future events. The tournament will take this sport towards mainstream status.
In the T20 World Cup 2024, the USA will take on Canada in the tournament opener in Dallas on June 01. Alongside co-hosts USA, Uganda and Canada will make their tournament debuts. USA are in Group A of the event as announced by the ICC.
Group A for ICC T20 World Cup 2024
- India
- Pakistan
- Ireland
- Canada
- United States of America
Cover Credit - USA Cricket
