Usain Bolt Named Ambassador for T20 World Cup 2024: Boosting Cricket’s Status in the USA
Renowned Olympic champion Usain Bolt has been revealed as the ambassador for the upcoming 2024 men’s T20 World Cup, set to take place in the West Indies and the USA this June.
In an ICC statement, Bolt, hailing from the cricket-loving Caribbean, expressed his deep connection to the sport and his excitement for this prestigious tournament.
The world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt, who played cricket in his younger days, has been named the 2024 men’s T20 World Cup ambassador. The tournament will take place in June in the USA and the West Indies.
Bolt, who was born and raised in Jamaica, said in an ICC statement, “I am honoured to be part of such a prestigious tournament. Coming from the Caribbean where cricket is a part of life, the sport has always held a special place in my heart.” “I look forward to bringing my energy and enthusiasm to the World Cup and contributing to the growth of cricket globally.”
Bolt stated that he anticipates “dancing, music, and high energy” during the Caribbean matches. He also believes that the World Cup will significantly increase the USA’s standing as a major cricket hub.
“America believes a lot in sport and high intensity and for me to get into that market is big,” Bolt stated. “They follow sports seriously and give it their all when they do, and if they can get into it, I think they’ll do it the right way.” It will be amazing if we bring the same enthusiasm to the T20 [World Cup] that I know we will.”
Naturally, the T20 World Cup won’t be the last one. Men’s and women’s T20I cricket will return to the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028 after last competing in 1900 in Paris.
“If you listen to NBA players and the way they talk about winning a gold medal, they have won NBA titles, they have their rings, but they are like ‘we went to the Olympics’,” Bolt stated. That is the magnitude of winning a gold medal. Since the Olympics are so popular and winning a gold medal is such an amazing sensation, every sport strives to be included.”
Also Read: England’s T20 World Cup Triumph: Stokes and Curran Shine Bright
2024 Men’s T20 World Cup Stats
The ninth T20 World Cup, a biannual Twenty20 International (T20I) tournament contested by men’s national teams and governed by the International Cricket Council (ICC), will take place in 2024.
The United States and the West Indies are scheduled to co-host it from June 1 to June 29, 2024. This will be the inaugural ICC World Cup event with matches held in the United States and any other nation in the Americas save the West Indies. After defeating Pakistan in the previous edition’s final, England is the defending champion.
A record 20 teams—up from 16 teams in the 2022 tournament—will compete in the event. These teams include the two hosts, the top eight teams from that year, the next two teams ranked in the ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings, and eight teams chosen through regional qualifying. In addition to the United States, who is playing in the men’s T20 World Cup for the first time as co-hosts, Canada and Uganda also qualified.
Teams And Qualifications
The two hosts and the top eight teams from the 2022 competition automatically advanced to the event. As of November 14, 2022, the top-ranked teams in the ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings that had not yet guaranteed a spot in the finals claimed the remaining two automatic qualification spots.
The eight spots that remained were filled through the ICC’s regional qualifications, which included one team each from the Americas and East Asia-Pacific groups, as well as two teams each from Africa, Asia, and Europe. The ICC validated the sub-regional qualification routes for Africa, East Asia-Pacific, and Europe in May 2022.
The first two teams to qualify were Scotland and Ireland from the Europe qualifier, and then Papua New Guinea from the East Asia-Pacific qualifier in July 2023. After winning their last Americas Qualifier match against Bermuda, Canada was able to secure their qualification in October 2023.
The next month, Namibia and Uganda became the last two teams to qualify after guaranteeing a top-two finish in the Africa Qualifier. Nepal and Oman had qualified after making it to the final of the Asia Qualifier in Nepal. Zimbabwe is now the only nation that does not qualify to play Test cricket.
Also Read: Australia Clinches T20 World Cup Triumph with Stellar Performances by Marsh and Warner
