Nassau County is slated to host the Cricket World Cup’s premiere match – aside from the finals – this Sunday, when cricket powerhouse teams representing India and Pakistan meet for a showdown.
“For the test match, there were approximately 8,000 people,” Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said. The practice matches took place over the weekend before the first match on Monday.
“And then Sri Lanka versus South Africa was about 14,000. And today, it was over 25,000 for India versus Ireland. On Sunday, the premier match in the world is India versus Pakistan – we are already sold out… People are just so energized.”
Blakeman said so far, the nine-day event has run smoothly, despite safety concerns posed last week after an alleged terrorist-related threatwas made towards the stadium.
The event is estimated to draw more than a billion viewers worldwide. According to Blakeman, cricket fans have traveled from the tri-state area and beyond to watch the games; attendees from California, India and Sri Lanka are among the crowd. All of whom, Blakeman said, are adding to Nassau County’s economy.
“Our hotels are full. Our restaurants are doing very well,” he said. “The local store owners are reporting that there’s been a sharp increase in activity. So I think from an economic standpoint, this has been a really good thing for Nassau County.”
Canada and Ireland will face off on Friday, June 7, followed by the Netherlands versus South Africa on June 8. Sunday, India and Pakistan take the pitch.
