"Exciting times for cricket...": Ponting on US hosting IND-PAK T20 WC clash

Melbourne [Australia], March 14 : Legendary Australian batter Ricky Ponting is eagerly awaiting the match between India and Pakistan in New York at this year's ICC Men's T20 World Cup and opines that there is a really strong possibility of cricket becoming a really big sport in the United States in coming future through the marquee T20I cricket tournament.
All eyes will be on the new Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in Long Island on June 9 when India takes on arch-rival Pakistan in a contest that is sure to revive memories of the epic encounter that took place at the MCG during the most recent T20 World Cup in Australia in 2022. The T20 WC starts from June 1 onwards.
It was India star Virat Kohli who stole the show on that occasion with a match-winning 82* and another sold-out crowd is likely when the two traditional rivals meet at this year's event co-hosted by the West Indies and USA. Team India is in Group 1 with Pakistan, Ireland, US and Canada this time.
Ponting was discussing the upcoming clash in New York with host Sanjana Ganesan on the latest episode of The ICC Review and the Australia great expects to see similar scenes in June that he saw up close in Melbourne almost two years ago.
"I have seen it firsthand here in Australia, in Melbourne last time around, where there were 95,000 people in the stadium and another 50,000 people outside the stadium. You can imagine what it is going to be like in New York. So, really exciting times for the world game," said Ponting as quoted by ICC.
While the USA has a rich history in the game and even featured in the first-ever international cricket match way back in 1844 against Canada, Ponting feels the sport has only started to grow in popularity in recent years on the back of hosting fixtures between full-member sides and the rise of franchise cricket competitions like Major League Cricket (MLC) that continues to attract a host of international stars.
Ponting, who recently signed as coach of Washington Freedom in Major League Cricket, wants to be on the ground floor of the sport emerging in the USA.
"I think there is a great opportunity to continue to grow and promote the game in that part of the world. And that is a big part of the reason that I took the coaching job at Washington Freedom, to be a part of that sort of movement to grow the game in the US," Ponting added.
"There is obviously so many expat Indians, West Indians, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans, and Afghans in that part of the world that we know that they will continue to promote the game. But what we have to do is get the Americans into loving and understanding the game of cricket," he added.
Ponting saw a strong possibility of quick growth in cricket in the USA. He backed the franchise model to take hold and help the game move forward in the region.
"I would like to think it can become really big and as I said, actually become really big quite quickly," Ponting opined.
"What I am hearing, I think part of the franchise model with the teams that were in last year was everyone has to sort of build their own stadium in the different cities that were playing the games."
"And I think when that happens in a few years, there will be the potential to grow the tournament out, maybe add a couple more teams."
"And once you start playing in not just the six but in a lot of these big cities in the US, then I think there is an opportunity for great growth and quick growth."
"And we should not sit back and just think in two years it is going to be a mini IPL, it probably would not be that. But I think that is what we should all be aiming for and doing our best to promote the game the best way that we can," he concluded.