“,”elementId”:”f387861b-0325-4c96-91e9-1ce75090bdea”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
Our man on the ground, Andy Bull, has written this fantastic scene setter.
“,”elementId”:”5bca5329-fe2f-44e3-9fe7-95d7e50c197b”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement”,”prefix”:”Related: “,”text”:”‘Super Bowl on steroids’: New York gears up for cricket’s hottest rivalry”,”elementId”:”6c9bd9bd-23dc-456f-a391-64aa83f4d24b”,”role”:”thumbnail”,”url”:”https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/jun/08/cricket-t20-world-cup-india-pakistan-new-york-super-bowl-on-steroids”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement”,”html”:”
\n
Most locals do not even know the match is happening, but the few who do are not talking about much else. It seems just about everyone who is anyone in the Pakistani- and Indian-American communities is going to be there and everyone else wants to know how they can join them.
\n
Pretty much everyone I see asks me for a ticket,” said the USA Cricket chairman, Venu Pisike. The USA’s opening bowler Ali Khan, meanwhile, sighed: “Oh, man, don’t even go there. I’ve had to stop replying to the requests. I don’t even mess with the tickets for that match, it’s crazy.”
\n
Never mind the actual match, you cannot get into the viewing party being hosted by the New York Mets at Citi Field. They’re expecting 27,000 along to watch the game on the big screen, while another 5,000 or so are due at a similar event a few miles from Eisenhower Park in Cedar Creek Park. That is before you start adding on all the people following the game in restaurants, bars and corner stores around the city.
\n
The little town of Westbury has no idea what’s about to hit it. “We don’t know what to expect,” said the county executive, Bruce Blakeman, “but we’re told it’s going to be like the Super Bowl on steroids.”
\n
A hundred extra police patrols have been laid on in the district and 300 local officers will be on duty at the ground, plus an undisclosed number of reinforcements from Suffolk County, the state police and FBI. They have got snipers on the nearby rooftops, SWAT teams on every gate, flatbed trucks blocking every route into the venue and a team of 50 officers monitoring “every inch of the venue” on cameras from a remote location.”
\n
“,”elementId”:”364c7380-ba80-4248-9cf8-797e049f87b6″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
Play will begin in a little over 30 minutes, I’ll bring you news of the teams and toss any second. This should be quite the spectacle. Yeh – I’m talkin’ to you.
“,”elementId”:”e55531b4-336d-46d8-9110-494e7fdb1b07″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1717941741000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”10.02 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1717941622000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”10.00 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1717941741000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”10.02 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”10.02″,”title”:”Preface”,”Contributors”:[{“name”:”James Wallace”,”imageUrl”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2022/08/30/James_Wallace.jpg?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=aa7d18847f4d269f8eed30ab90428ddb”,”largeImageUrl”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2022/08/30/James_Wallace.png?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=eb73166c6ed34247a3a7d2df4036a3b6″}],”primaryDateLine”:”Sunday, June 9, 2024 10:10 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sunday, June 9, 2024 10:02 EDT”}],”filterKeyEvents”:false,”id”:”key-events-carousel-mobile”,”absoluteServerTimes”:false}” config=”{“renderingTarget”:”Web”,”darkModeAvailable”:false,”updateLogoAdPartnerSwitch”:true,”assetOrigin”:”https://assets.guim.co.uk/”}”>
Important Events
Ah. Okay. It’s currently raining at Nassau Stadium. It turns out the toss is going to be delayed, I guess it’s not too bad as it’s raining lightly, and in fact there’s an umpire’s inspection in a few minutes.
Not something you want to see. pic.twitter.com/Fnh5ID6lQG
— Prakash Wakankar (@pakwakankar) June 9, 2024
\n\n”}}” config=”{“renderingTarget”:”Web”,”darkModeAvailable”:false,”updateLogoAdPartnerSwitch”:true,”assetOrigin”:”https://assets.guim.co.uk/”}”/>
preamble
James Wallace
Hello and welcome to the Big One. A Sunday in the Big Apple. New York. The city that never sleeps. New York, New York. India vs Pakistan. Football’s fiercest rivalry. In one of the greatest cities on earth (about an hour and a half drive from Manhattan, but as you know, it’s notoriously crowded).
Our field guy, Andy Bull, wrote this fantastic scene-setter.
Most locals don’t even know the game is happening, and the few who do aren’t saying much else. Nearly every big name in the Pakistani and Indian American communities seems to be attending the game, and everyone else wants to know how they can get involved.
“Everyone I meet is asking for tickets,” said Venu Pithike, president of the United States Cricket Association, while US opening bowler Ali Khan sighed: “Oh, don’t say that. We’re not taking requests anymore. We’re not even selling tickets to that game. It’s ridiculous.”
Aside from the game itself, you won’t be able to attend the viewing parties being hosted by the New York Mets at Citi Field, where 27,000 people are expected to show up to watch the game on a big screen, and a similar event is planned for Cedar Creek Park, a few miles from Eisenhower Park, that is expected to draw another 5,000 or so people. And that’s before you add in the people who will watch the game in the city’s restaurants, bars and corner stores.
The small town of Westbury has no idea what to expect. “We don’t know what’s going to happen,” said County Manager Bruce Blakeman, “but we’re hearing it’s going to be like a bolstered Super Bowl.”
100 additional police patrols will be deployed to the area, 300 local officers will be on duty at the venue, with additional reinforcements from Suffolk County, State Police and the FBI. Snipers will be stationed on nearby rooftops, SWAT teams will be at all gates, all access points to the venue will be blocked off with flatbed trucks, and a team of 50 officers will be monitoring “every inch of the venue” remotely with cameras.
The match kicks off in just over 30 minutes and we’ll have team and toss news shortly – it should be quite the spectacle. Yeah – I’m talking to you.
