The search for an appropriate location for a cricket competition at the Los Angeles Olympics may lead the organizers to the other extreme of the spectrum in the US.
Although California, on the US West Coast, is the host city for the 28th Olympic Games, cricket matches may occur on the East Coast.
The measure’s goal is to prevent viewers from the subcontinent—especially Indian fans—from having to watch the Games’ cricket competition at awkwardly early hours.
Given that India and Los Angeles are 12 hours and 30 minutes apart, a prime-time night match in Los Angeles at approximately 8 PM would be televised throughout the Indian subcontinent early in the morning before breakfast.
However, India is a better alternative for scheduling because of the nine-and-a-half-hour time difference between it and New York.
Indian fans could watch the matches at 8 PM if they start at 10:30–11:00 AM on the East Coast, like in New York. The International Cricket Council (ICC) used this strategy earlier this summer during the Twenty20 World Cup.
However, holding the games in New York has caused controversy, with certain ICC officials facing accusations of financial mismanagement that have prompted an investigation.
The organizers face additional difficulties in locating an appropriate location and time zone issues. The recent World Cup matches in New York were held in a modular stadium dismantled immediately following the final match in Long Island. There aren’t many cricket grounds in the United States.
The World Cup matches were also held in Dallas, Texas, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Dallas and North Carolina are currently the locations of Major League Cricket (MLC) matches.
While the locations for most other sports have been announced, the LA28 organizers have not yet disclosed the location for cricket.
“Cricket has a distinct venue challenge in contrast to the other emerging sports. Although there aren’t many, if any, suitable cricket sites in California, LA28 has made it clear that it intends to use existing venues to keep expenses low. anywhere throughout the nation,” the Sportico website, which broke the story first, stated.
For the first time, a portion of the Games will be hosted outside of the host city. For example, the recent Olympics in Paris featured football matches throughout France. When LA hosted the Olympics for the first time in 1984, it distributed the football games throughout the United States.
After more than 128 years, cricket is back at the Olympics. The last time it was played was in Paris in 1900. The new sports added to the LA Games include cricket, baseball, softball, flag football, squash, and lacrosse.