An India-Pakistan match is cricket's biggest rivalry - Photo by Alex Davidson-ICC/ICC via Getty Images
Tickets Available for India-Pakistan World Cup Blockbuster as New York Cricket Grounds Near Completion
By Tristan Lavalette
New York: There are additional tickets available for the India-Pakistan T20 World Cup sold-out blockbuster in New York - arguably one of the most anticipated cricket matches of all-time.
But there is a catch. The ICC recently announced that hospitality tickets, inclusive of food and beverages, will be made available for all eight group games in New York, including India-Pakistan.
Hospitality tickets are starting at $2,000 to underline the absolute frenzy for cricket's most passionate rivalry between nuclear-armed countries who rarely play each other on the cricket field.
It is a contrast to other games in New York with premium tickets at $300 available for India's match against host US, while hospitality tickets start at $600.
The India-Pakistan match has predictably been the hottest ticket of the tournament after being oversubscribed more than 200 times the allocation in the public ballot.
Tickets cost between $175-$400, but are now reselling at exorbitant prices. Resale tickets on StubHub are currently starting at over $1,700.
Construction of the 34,000-seat modular Nassau County Stadium in Eisenhower Park, 30 miles east of Manhattan, is nearing completion, the International Cricket Council recently announced.
The four drop-in pitches have been installed as the ground's rapid development - construction started just over three months ago - is in its final stages. There has been pressure on the ICC and tournament organizers with the T20 World Cup starting on June 1 with an opening match between the US and Canada in Dallas.
New York's first match is on June 3 between South Africa and Sri Lanka and the cricket stadium is being purposefully built for the tournament. As I recently exclusively reported, the ground is expected to cost around $30 million and tournament officials are confident of a return on investment through ticketing and hospitality.
It is understood that discussions are being held over third-party use of the ground post the T20 World Cup.
Finding suitable infrastructure in New York had proven troublesome, with initial plans to develop a 34,000-seat stadium in Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx scuppered.
Eisenhower Park, a purpose-built sports and events park, has been tasked with hosting the marquee event with much anticipation fueled by the ICC's deep-seated desire to infiltrate the world's biggest sports market. There have been over the years several grandiose ideas for cricket to be played in New York, but now it is a reality.
All eyes are on the ground's development helmed by architectural design firm Populous. Grandstands, previously used for the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, have been repurposed, while all the matches will be played during the day with no floodlights installed. Drop-in pitches were built in Florida under the guidance of experienced curator Damian Hough, who is based in Adelaide, Australia.
Dallas and Lauderhill, Florida, are the other American host cities before the tournament is entirely played in the Caribbean for the knockout stages.
Construction is continuing on the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium at Eisenhower Park -Getty Images
The T20 World Cup - the biggest cricket event of the year - is hoped to build momentum in a pivotal second season for Major League Cricket, America's lucrative professional cricket tournament.
As I reported last week, salary caps will not increase, but player wages will remain in the top echelons of T20 professional leagues. The MLC's debut season exceeded financial targets with revenues of $8 million, as I first reported.
The six-team MLC will run from July 5-28. - Forbes
