In the aftermath of a severe storm that hit the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas, Texas, the T20 World Cup warm-up match between the United States of America (USA) and Bangladesh has been cancelled. The venue was scheduled to host the opening match of the T20 World Cup 2024 between USA and Canada on June 2.
Several parts of the USA have been affected by tornadoes and thunderstorms in recent weeks, with at least 23 fatalities reported in states such as Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Kentucky. The National Weather Service has assigned a preliminary rating of EF-2 to this storm, which caused significant destruction in America’s heartland. The death toll is expected to rise as recovery efforts continue.
As one of the co-hosts of the T20 World Cup, along with West Indies, the USA will host 16 out of 55 matches during this tournament. This includes a highly anticipated matchup between India and Pakistan at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. The Grand Prairie Stadium, originally a baseball stadium and former home of the Texas AirHogs, was selected as a venue for this tournament due to its large capacity and modern amenities.
Although it was previously used as a baseball stadium and once hosted a soccer team in the US’s second division, Grand Prairie Stadium is now being repurposed by USA Cricket for T20 World Cup matches. While it was unfortunate that the warm-up fixture had to be cancelled due to adverse weather conditions, fans can still look forward to seeing some amazing cricket action at this venue during group-stage matches including USA’s clash against Pakistan following their opening match against Canada.
