Everything about the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium

The 2024 ICC T20 Cricket World Cup is going to be held in one of the biggest sports markets in the world, the United States of America. And just like every Cricket World Cup tournament, having an India vs Pakistan match is mandatory. This time, the stakes will be higher, and with India closely missing out on the 2023 World Cup, Rohit Sharma and Co.’s eyes will be on the ICC trophy that has evaded the Men in Blue for more than 13 years. This epic clash, which can be the trendsetter for the growth of cricket in the USA, has received a befitting venue, New York City’s Nassau County International Cricket Stadium. The venue hasn’t been built yet but is in development and is expected to be completed before the start of the tournament.

In this article by ZAP, let’s know more about the Nassau International Cricket Stadium, the expected pitch conditions, the seating capacity and the boundary length of the ground. 

Nassau Cricket Stadium – A Short History:

The Nassau Cricket Stadium will be a temporary ground, located in Eisenhower Park on Long Island, New York. It is specifically constructed for the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup to address the shortage of cricket stadiums in the United States, particularly in the New York City area.

Designed by the architecture firm Populous and constructed by Arena Event Services, the venue utilises modular architecture and repurposed grandstands from events such as golf tournaments and Formula One's Las Vegas Grand Prix.

LandTek Group, renowned for their work on sports surfaces, is overseeing the construction of the ground's outfield, drainage system, and pitch. The outfield will feature Kentucky bluegrass, while the drop-in pitch will use Tahoma bermudagrass surfaces prepared in Florida. Due to logistical challenges, including time constraints and different climate conditions, six of the ten pitch trays had to be shipped from Adelaide, Australia.

The venue is scheduled to be completed in May 2024 and will host its first tournament match on June 3, 2024. After the tournament, the temporary seating infrastructure will be removed, only leaving behind the ground and its pitches. The natural grass pitch will be replaced by artificial turf to simplify maintenance.

Also Read: Cricket Stadiums in India

Nassau Cricket Stadium Pitch Report and Weather Conditions:

Due to the pitch soil being imported from the Adelaide Cricket Ground in Australia and the similar summer weather conditions in New York as those in Australia, you can expect the pitch to behave like the one at Adelaide. The Nassau Stadium will probably have a flat, batting friendly pitch, good for power hitting, just like the one in Adelaide. After the IPL 2024, spectators are spoilt with the six hitting display they have seen from the batters, and also to grab the attention of the US people, the organisers will surely create pitches that are favourable to the batsman. 

Nassau Cricket Stadium – Seating Capacity and Boundary Length:

The seating capacity of the Nassau Cricket Stadium is planned to be at 34,000 seated spectators through the 40 rows of temporary seats that reach up to 75 feet high. This will make the Nassau Stadium in New York one of the biggest cricket grounds in the USA for the duration of the tournament. 

The Nassau Stadium’s boundary length will follow the ICC’s standards for T20 format, where the boundary length cannot be less than 60 metres (195 feet) or more than 82 metres (270 feet). 

ICC T20 World Cup 2024 Matches at the Nassau Cricket Stadium:

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