Lauderhill (Florida)/Dubai: The Central Broward Regional Park, with a seating capacity of 15,000, in Fort Lauderdale (USA) will be sold-out for two-match T-20 series between reigning World T-20 champions West Indies and former champions India to be played on August 27 and 28.
The series has been considered as a lucrative venture for both India and West Indies cricket, with tickets priced from $75 up to $250. But the International Cricket Council also sees this as an important initiative in fulfilling to develope cricket in the United States.
As the International Cricket Council (ICC) has suspended the United States of America Cricket Association (USACA) and empowered itself to sanction which events could take place in the U.S. A three-match cricket All-Stars tour last November, featuring legends Sachin Tendulkar of India and Shane Warne of Australia.
ICC Chief Executive David Richardson explained what he hopes the U.S. will get out of matches between the sides ranked second and third in the T20I rankings. West Indies can go past former winners India in team T20I rankings.
West Indies can leapfrog second-ranked India in the MRF Tyres ICC T20I Team Rankings when they go head-to-head in a two-match series in Lauderhill, Florida. India are currently placed on 128 points, four points behind table leader New Zealand, while third-ranked West Indies are on 122 points.
Led by new captain Carlos Brathwaite, who had smashed four consecutive sixes to wrap up this year’s ICC World Twenty20 final against England in Kolkata, the West Indies will move to second place on 127 points with a 2-0 win and push India to third place on 124 points.
However, a 2-0 win for India, captain by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, will help them join number-one ranked New Zealand on 132 points but the Asian side will be ranked second when the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point. In this scenario, the West Indies will slip to fourth position with 118 points, one point behind South Africa.
A 1-1 series draw will keep India ahead on 128 points with West Indies on 123 points.
The individual performances in the series will also be keenly watched with a player from either side leading the player rankings for batsmen and bowlers.
India’s Test captain Virat Kohli heads the MRF Tyres ICC Player Rankings for T20I Batsmen with 837 points. With Australia’s Aaron Finch only 34 points behind, Kohli will be looking to consolidate his position at the top.
Rohit Sharma is the next-highest ranked India batsman in 23rd position, while Dhoni, who had led India to victory in the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 title in 2007, is in 50th position but the likelihood of getting more batting opportunities could see him rise in the ranks.
For the West Indies, big-hitting opener Chris Gayle (eighth) and experienced batsman Marlon Samuels (17th) will be looking to move up the ranks with Lendl Simmons (31st), Dwayne Bravo (37th) and Andre Fletcher (48th) also trying to climb the ladder.
The West Indies has two slow bowlers up in the table as top-ranked leg-spinner Samuel Badree and fourth-ranked off-spinner Sunil Narine will be out to garner points with medium-pacer Dwayne Bravo (39th) the next best on the list.
For India, fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is in second position in the MRF Tyres ICC Player Rankings for T20I Bowlers after a creditable show in Zimbabwe a few months ago when India won the T20I series 2-1. Ravichandran Ashwin is the other India bowler inside the top 10 in seventh position, while left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja is in 19th spot.
Marlon Samuels is the best-ranked all-rounder from either side at fifth position.
David Richardson has been quoted as sayin "Having the ICC World T20 Champions playing India in Florida will undoubtedly inspire both existing and new fans and players, but perhaps more importantly, the sanction fees will be invested into the ICC’s ongoing work to lay a sustainable foundation for the development of cricket in America."
Twelve of the 14 men selected for the 20-over matches were in the Caribbean for the Test series, with the most significant player left out being Suresh Raina.
West Indies T20I Team: Carlos Brathwaite (captain), Andre Fletcher, Andre Russell, Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Evin Lewis, Jason Holder, Johnson Charles, Kieron Pollard, Lendl Simmons, Marlon Samuels, Samuel Badree, Sunil Narine
India Team: MS Dhoni (captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Amit Mishra, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Stuart Binny, Umesh Yadav, and Virat Kohli.
Schedule: Aug 27 10:00 hrs EDT, Aug 28, 10:00hrs EDT,
MRF Tyres ICC T20I Team Rankings (as of August 25, before the start of the India-West Indies series in Florida)
Rank Team Points: 1. New Zealand 132; 2. India 128; 3. West Indies 122; 4. South Africa 119; 5. England 116; 6. Australia 110; 7. Pakistan 104; 8. Sri Lanka 96; 9. Afghanistan 78; 10. Bangladesh 74; 11. Netherlands 67; 12. Zimbabwe 62; 13. Scotland 57; 14. UAE 54; 15. Ireland 48; 16. Papua New Guinea 44; 17. Oman 37; 18. Hong Kong 29.
