Former England cricketer Liam Plunkett has made a massive statement related to cricket in the United States of America (USA). He believes Indian star Virat Kohli and Pakistan’s opening batsman Babar Azam can help cricket grow in the country by comparing NBA and NFL stars.
Virat Kohli and Babar Azam are two of the biggest names in world cricket. They have a huge fan following and fans are crazy about them. The aura they have has made cricket popular even in countries where the sport does not have much appeal to many.
One of the countries among them is the United States of America, where cricket is not that popular. However, in recent years, ICC has put a lot of effort into making cricket a brand in the country. The newly formed Major League Cricket (MLC) has also contributed to the cause.
The United States is now ready to host the biggest cricket event. He T20 World Cup 2024 It will be played there together with Caribbean. One of the highlights of the tournament will be the match between India and Pakistan, which will be played in New York.
Virat Kohli, Babar Azam, Rohit Sharma, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Jasprit Bumrah and others will be in action and it will be a real treat for the US fans. The game is expected to be a blockbuster as it has been a over the years and will surely help cricket become popular in the US.
Liam Plunkett believes getting tickets for that match will be difficult. He highlighted how expensive tickets are selling while speaking to AFP on a video call from Philadelphia, the 2019 World Cup-winning pacer said:
“I know it’s hard to get tickets. People ask me for tickets like I’m Ticketmaster or something. I have nothing to do with that. I’m sure there will be resale value. “People are trying to sell it for $1,500 and people are buying tickets to that, which is crazy to think.”
‘If you had Babar Azam and Virat Kohli alongside (NBA star) LeBron James, the queues for cricketers would be just as long – Liam Plunkett
Liam Plunkett made further comparisons between Virat Kohli and Babar Azam with NBA icon LeBron James. He believes there would be longer queues for cricket if two sports were brought together. While highlighting the importance of the confrontation between India and Pakistan, he stated:
“I told someone, ‘If you had Babar Azam and Virat Kohli alongside (NBA star) LeBron James, the lines for cricketers would be as long or not.’ They are so massive all over the world.
“People don’t believe that. “People in America don’t realize that there are more people watching India v Pakistan than the (NFL) Super Bowl, which is crazy.”
The T20 World Cup 2024 will begin from June 1. The blockbuster India vs Pakistan match will be played on June 9. The final of the tournament will be played on June 30.