The much anticipated 2024 International Cricket Council’s
(ICC) T20 World Cup is finally upon us. Co-hosts the USA will
oppose their North American neighbours Canada in the New
York staged June 1 opening match. West Indies as the second
host “country,” will take on Papua New Guinea at Guyana’s
Providence Stadium, the following day on June 2.
04 2024 T20I WC Countdown The Canadians Are Coming:
Kaleem Sana!
For the peoples of the Caribbean the opportunity
to jointly host the 2024 T20 World Cup, the
largest ever of its kind with as many as twenty
participating teams, couldn’t have come at
a better time. Many of the region’s tourism
dependent economies are still feeling the
aftereffects of the crippling Covid Pandemic. The
influx of hundreds of thousands of cricket crazy
fans from countries as far afield as Oman and
Uganda will, therefore, provide a much-needed
boost to regional tourism-generated revenues.
Not to mention the thousands of Brits. Aussies,
Saffies, Indians, and Pakistanis who have already
booked their passages to the Caribbean to
support their respective teams! An unfolding
tourism bonanza indeed!
For the West Indies team, wallowing as it has been
in the lower echelons of international cricket
within recent years, playing a T20 World Cup at
familiar home venues also presents a wonderful
opportunity for fortunes revival. Should the West
Indies go on to win the tournament and by so
doing become the first-ever team to
capture the T20 world championship title
for an unprecedented third time, it would
be just as important a boost to regional
morale as any amount of generated
tourism revenue.
Toward that end the West Indies selectors
the Rt. Honourable Desmond Haynes and
Head Coach Daren Sammy have done
a highly commendable job of selecting
arguably the very best fifteen-member
squad from the available pool of talented
players. All that’s now required is for the
fifteen chosen to perform at the very best
of their God-given abilities.
Should they do so, then the West Indies
will stand as good a chance as any of
lifting the championship trophy at the
conclusion of the June 29 final to be held
at Barbados’ famed Kensington Oval. Let
the games begin!
