United States vs Canada will open up the 2024 World T20 in America in a nod to the first ever game of international cricket in 1844 – but England will be based in the Caribbean for the group stage
- The World T20 will take place from June 14 to 30 in the Caribbean and the US
- The tournament schedule is expected to be released by the ICC later this week
- Ten teams will start in the US, while the remaining ten will start in the Caribbean
The opening match of next year's T20 World Cup will see cricket minnows from the United States and Canada meet in America.
With the matches due to be announced later this week, the ICC has opted to start the tournament with a rare North American derby rather than a match featuring World Cup holders England or global giants India.
The surprise decision is a nod to the fact that the very first international cricket match was a match between the US and Canada in Manhattan in 1844, 33 years before the first Test between England and Australia in Melbourne, a clash that gave rise to the Ashes five years later on.
In the earlier match, billed at the time as the US versus the British Empire's Canadian province, the visitors won a three-day, two-inning match by 23 runs.
Besides the historic bond, the ICC is also trying to kick-start the tournament in the United States, which is co-hosting it with the West Indies.
The opening match of the 2024 T20 World Cup will be a meeting between the United States (above) and Canada in America, in a nod to the very first match of international cricket in 1844
India versus Pakistan – the biggest match of the tournament – will be held in New York
10 of the 20 competing teams will play their first match in the US at stadiums in Texas, Florida and New York, while the other 10 will start in the West Indies, where all the final stages will take place, consisting of a Super 8 round and semi-finals. finals. and final.
All of England's group matches will take place in Caribbean tourist spots such as Antigua and St Lucia and Barbados, where the final will also take place.
Three of India's matches will be in the US, with the biggest match of the tournament against Pakistan being held in a temporary stadium yet to be built on Long Island, 25 miles from recessionary Manhattan.
The matches in India will start at 9.30am local time at the request of Star Sports, the ICC's broadcast rights partner, in order to attract the largest possible TV audience at home.
The ICC declined to comment.
England are the reigning champions and will be in the Caribbean for the group stage