Dallas Mayor announces ‘sixty strikes’ form of cricket and hopes to cheer on city’s team in a dedicated cricket stadium in Dallas
Our Bureau
Dallas, TX
Dallas Mayor Eric L. Johnson recently announced the launch of a new sports league and another cricket team for the city as part of the new venture, the National Cricket League (NCL). He was accompanied by Azhar Qasmi, NCL CEO, Dallas business executive Arun Agarwal who is serving as NCL chairman and advisor, Haroon Lorgat, former chairman of the International Cricket Council, cricketers, Lollywood and Bollywood celebrities to celebrate the impending Dallas team launch.
The NCL took the opportunity to announce the new Dallas headquarters and the league’s first event, a nine-day nonstop cricket tournament to be held in December. NCL is an exciting new venture that aims to introduce the shorter and fast-paced form of cricket, called “sixty strikes,” to the US. It will have 6 teams with international players, coaches, and mentors from all over the world.
Cricket is the second most popular sport in the world after soccer. In the US alone, there are over 30 million cricket enthusiasts, with 4.4 million subscribers paying to watch cricket on various TV channels. It has rapidly gained popularity, especially the “sixty strikes” format.
“It is my hope that we will be able to cheer on our city’s team in a stadium in Dallas soon. The National Cricket League has my full support as it works to bring the first dedicated cricket stadium to Dallas,” said Mayor Johnson.
The Mayor and NCL leadership emphasized that the new Dallas team and stadium location will be announced very soon.
“This will be a Dallas team. When we say Dallas, we mean Dallas – not Arlington, not Frisco. We’re proud to create another team to represent our city,” said Agarwal.
The first league tournament will be held between December 19-29 at Broward County Stadium in Lauderhill, Florida. To add zing to this tournament, the 9-day nonstop cricket tournament will feature more than 30 performances from celebrities around the world.
“If you aren’t already one of the 30 million cricket enthusiasts in America, now is the time to familiarize yourself with the sport,” said Mayor Johnson. “Sports present unique opportunities to bring together people of all backgrounds under one roof. They strengthen communities. They generate excitement. And they foster civic and national pride.”
The details about the Dallas team and stadium location will be revealed soon and excitement is building up amongst the cricket lovers in the US about the names of the 6 league team owners and players composition which is expected to take place in October.
The “Sixty strikes” matches last for around 90 minutes of power-hitting and high-scoring games. As cricket is incredibly popular in the world with 2.5 billion global followers, Americans are fast catching up with this fantastic game.
In 2022, sporting events in Dallas produced more than $647 million in economic impact for the city, supported more than 4,000 jobs, and generated $16 million in local tax revenue. And more major sporting events are coming soon to Dallas, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 2030 NCAA Men’s Final Four, and the 2031 NCAA Women’s Final Four.
