Former West Indies cricket superstar Chris Gayle has teamed up with ICC T20 World Cup organisers in Florida and Lauderhill Commissioner Denise Grant to serve as the cricket ambassador for the ICC T20 Men’s World Cup, scheduled for June.
Grant, elated about Broward County being chosen as a host city, expressed excitement about working alongside Gayle, who brings star power to promote the tournament.
Being of Jamaican descent and having migrated to the United States at age nine, Grant is particularly thrilled to have Gayle as the ambassador for the tournament.
Having met Gayle through his publicist Sean ‘Contractor’ Edwards, who arranged for Gayle to attend a gala honouring former West Indian batsman Lawrence Rowe in Fort Lauderdale, Grant shared her enthusiasm. “I am delighted to welcome World Cup cricket to Lauderhill and Broward County in June 2024. Chris Gayle, a cricket legend, is the perfect ambassador for this prestigious event. His dedication to excellence and impressive track record make him an ideal representative,” said Grant. “Gayle exemplifies the core values of cricket, embodying the spirit of the game through his conduct and performance. I am honored to have him serve as the ambassador for World Cup Cricket 2024. Get ready for an unforgettable experience.”
Grant emphasised the positive impact of hosting the T20 World Cup in Lauderhill. “Hosting the T20 World Cup cricket in Lauderhill will be a game-changer for our city. This prestigious international sporting event will bring unprecedented attention and traction to our community, showcasing Lauderhill as a vibrant and dynamic destination city,” she said. “The economic impact will be significant, with an influx of visitors and cricket fans from around the world injecting millions of dollars into our local businesses, hotels, and restaurants.”
In response, Gayle expressed his excitement, stating, “I really feel like the Universe Boss in helping cricket to crack the USA market by being an ambassador for the T20 World Cup tournament this summer.” He mentioned the expected sold-out matches and the recent launch of the trophy tour at the Empire State Building in New York. Gayle thanked the ICC for selecting him as an ambassador and recognized his team in Jamaica, as well as establishments like Triple Century, Camar Flava, and Contractor, for maintaining his brand’s high standard.
ICC T20 World Cup matches will be played at the Broward County on the following dates: June 11, 14, 15 and 16.
A total of three venues in the USA and six in the Caribbean will be used for the tournament.
Ten of the 20 teams will play their first match of the 29-day tournament in the USA, with 16 contests to be held in Lauderhill, Dallas and New York and the blockbuster clash between India and Pakistan scheduled for the new Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in Long Island on 9 June.
Forty-one matches will be played in the Caribbean across six different islands, with semi-finals in Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana and the title decider scheduled to be played in Barbados on June 29.
The tournament will commence on June 1 with co-hosts USA taking on neighbours Canada, while fellow hosts the West Indies will play Papua New Guinea in Guyana on the second day of group play.
The event is split up into four groups consisting of five teams, with the top two sides from each group then progressing to the Super Eight phase of the tournament ahead of the knockout semi-finals and final.
Joining co-hosts USA in Group A are arch-rivals India and Pakistan, as well as Canada in their first appearance at the event as well as the European side Ireland.
Group B consists of the last two winners of the Men’s T20 World Cup in England and Australia, with the pair to take on Namibia, Scotland and Oman.
The West Indies are placed into Group C alongside New Zealand, Afghanistan, Uganda and Papua New Guinea, while Group D sees South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Netherlands and Nepal fixtured against each other.
