Anticipation is mounting for this summer's blockbuster match between Pakistan and India in the ICC T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA after tickets for the tournament went on sale.
The clash is over-subscribed by 200 times in public ballot for tickets with the starting price for a ticket to the clash in New York starting at $2,500, drawing comparisons with the US Superbowl, the largest traditional sporting event in the USA.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) said that the June 9 clash will be held at a temporary stadium in New York, which has a capacity for 34,000 fans while nearly 2 billion fans watch it across the world.
The tournament is spread across the Central American island nations of the Caribbean. However, some 16 matches will also be played in the North American mainland, where a large number of expats from cricket-playing nations — primarily India, Pakistan and Bangladesh — reside. This is the first time that the US mainland will be hosting a major ICC tournament.
ICC said that the Pakistan-India clash is always one where there is a great interest. This will also be a tournament where USA's official cricket team will be participating. Other new teams to participate in the tournament include Oman and Papua New Guinea.
The ICC tournament arrives in the US as interest in the sport grows. Apart from the sporadic international matches played in the country, a domestic cricketing tournament called Major League Cricket was launched last year.
Meanwhile, many complained that the tickets sold out quickly while the prices were quite high.
