They built it, and then the opportunity came.
About 16 years after Broward opened its cricket stadium, the county will serve as one of three U.S. sites for the Cricket World Cup in 2024.
Central Broward Park & Broward County Stadium will play host to the international sporting event, officially known as ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The tournament, one of the world’s most viewed sporting events, will be played in June. It’ll be the first time the cricket World Cup will be played anywhere in the U.S.
“That is so huge for us in Broward County,” said Broward Mayor Lamar Fisher.
Cricket, a bat-and-ball game, has long been common overseas and among Caribbean Americans.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) chose Broward’s stadium in Lauderhill, the first stadium in the United States sanctioned by the organization, as well as Eisenhower Park in New York, and Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas, Texas. More than 20 teams will compete, with the winners advancing to the next round, much like what is done in World Cup soccer, according to county officials.
Broward officials said they were excited, now dreaming of big dollar signs when tourists come to see the games. Who could profit: hotels, restaurants, shops.
“We’re ready to show the world and brag on Broward County,” beamed County Commissioner Hazelle Rogers. “Sawgrass, be ready,” she said, referring to Sawgrass Mills, a 2.4 million-square-foot retail attraction that owner Simon Property Group bills as “the largest outlet and value retail shopping destination in the United States.”
Also what will be created to try to make money: “Fan Zones,” which is an area or multiple areas within the park or surrounding cities that host celebratory events before, during and after the matches.
“Although they may not get tickets, fans will often travel to the cities just to be nearby the stadium and we are hoping for local fans that follow the various teams, especially West Indies will certainly visit the Fan Zones,” said Dan West, director of the county’s Parks and Recreation Division.
Of the 58 games that will be played, the majority will be hosted on various islands in the West Indies, and 15 will be held in the United States. West said it hasn’t yet been decided how many of those will be in Broward: “They apparently are not planning to make that decision until they meet with the various boards and national teams in October and November.”
Also still unknown: How much tickets will cost the public.
But despite lingering questions, Broward County has to now hustle to complete millions of dollars’ worth of renovations in advance of the expected crowds.
The stadium was initially promoted by local cricket enthusiasts and endorsed by U.S. and Caribbean cricket officials who saw it as a natural draw given the area’s sizeable Caribbean population. It was paid for through a voter-approved $400 million park bond passed in 2000 and is part of the $72 million regional park, the county’s most expensive.
Central Broward Regional Park, later renamed Central Broward Park & Broward County Stadium, is near State Road 7 and Sunrise Boulevard. It was designed as the first international cricket venue in North America and it opened in late 2007.
The current county budget, which went into effect Sunday, includes $6.6 million set aside for creation of a media staging area to accommodate the anticipated influx of international press, and the installation of grandstand bleachers. There are now 5,000 seats, and officials said they need between 13,000 and 15,000. Another $1.8 million was approved by county leaders to replace the original scoreboard which has repeated electronic repairs.
Glenn Joseph, the chairman of the board for both the Greater Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Caribbean American Cultural Coalition, said locals are eagerly anticipating the games.
“The demographics here are conducive because you have people from all over the cricketing world who reside in the proximity of Broward County,” he said.
As the sport grows in popularity, West said he expects interest to grow, too.
“We’re going to see something phenomenal here,” he said.
Mayor Fisher said he’s hopeful that 2024 will not be one and done, but rather a repeat venue for the games.
“Once we get spotlighted on the world tour, the sky’s the limit,” he said.
Lisa J. Huriash can be reached at lhuriash@sunsentinel.com. Follow on Twitter @LisaHuriash