United States vs Canada will open up the 2024 World T20 in America

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EXCLUSIVE United States vs Canada will open up the 2024 World T20 in America in a nod to the first ever game of international cricket in 1844 – but England will be based in the Caribbean for the group stage

  • The World T20 will take place from June 14 to June 30 in the Caribbean and US
  • The tournament schedule is expected to be released by the ICC later this week 
  • 10 teams will start in the US, while the other 10 will begin in the Caribbean 

The opening game of next year’s T20 World Cup will be a meeting between cricketing minnows United States and Canada in America. 

With the fixtures due to be released later this week the ICC have opted to start the tournament with a rare north American derby rather than a game featuring World Cup holders England or global giants India.

The surprise decision is a nod to the fact that the first ever game of international cricket was a match between USA and Canada in Manhattan in 1844, 33 years before the first Test between England and Australia in Melbourne, a clash which gave birth to the Ashes five years later. 

In the earlier contest that was billed at the time as USA v the British Empire’s Canadian Province the visitors won a two-innings three-day game by 23 runs.

In addition to the historical link the ICC are also seeking to kick-start the tournament in the USA, who are co-hosting along with the West Indies.   

The opening game of the 2024 T20 World Cup will be a meeting between United States (above) and Canada in America in a nod to the first ever game of international cricket in 1844

India vs Pakistan – which is the biggest game in the tournament – will be held in New York

10 of the 20 competing teams will play their first game in the USA at stadia in Texas, Florida and New York with the other 10 starting in the West Indies, who will host all of the latter stages comprising a Super 8 round, semi-finals and final.

All of England’s groups games will be in Caribbean tourist spots such as Antigua and St Lucia and Barbados, which will also stage the final. 

Three of India’s matches will be in the USA with the biggest game of the tournament against Pakistan to be held in a temporary stadium that has yet to be built in Long Island, 25 miles from downturn Manhattan.

India’s games will be scheduled to begin at 9:30am local time at the request of the ICC’s broadcast rights partner Star Sports in order to gain the biggest possible TV audience at home.

The ICC declined to comment.

England are the reigning champions and will be based in the Caribbean for the group stages

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