Rahul Dravid, the former Indian cricket coach who led the team to a T20 World Cup victory, recently addressed the challenges faced during the USA leg of the tournament. Speaking at a panel discussion in Paris titled 'Cricket at the Olympics: Dawn of a New Era', Dravid shared his thoughts on the necessity of expanding cricket to new territories, despite the difficulties encountered.
The USA segment of the T20 World Cup, which included matches played by Team India against Ireland, Pakistan, and the host nation, faced issues such as subpar pitch conditions and lower-than-expected audience turnout. Notably, a report by PTI highlighted that the International Cricket Council (ICC) incurred losses of approximately USD 20 million due to the event. Despite this, Dravid defended the decision to bring the tournament to the USA, emphasising that growing the sport globally requires some compromises.
Dravid noted that while the facilities and conditions in the USA were challenging, these are common issues when venturing into new venues. He stressed that for cricket to become a truly global sport, it is essential to play in diverse locations, even if it means adapting to unconventional conditions, such as playing at odd hours. Dravid mentioned that the early match timings, which started at 10:30 AM, were not problematic for him, as they provided a fair playing field for both teams involved.
During the discussion, Dravid praised the ICC's bold initiative to host a part of the World Cup in the USA, acknowledging the significant passion for cricket among fans in the region. He expressed that such efforts are crucial for exposing new audiences to the sport and for the long-term growth of cricket worldwide.
Dravid's comments highlight a broader vision for the future of cricket, where expanding into new markets is seen as a necessary step for the sport's global development, despite the inherent challenges.