Kes and Sean Paul share a photo opportunity.
CWI
Jamaica's iconic Grammy award winning artist Sean Paul and Soca superstar Kes have joined forces to produce the official anthem of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup to be hosted in the West Indies and United States.
With just 50 days to go until the start of the global cricket spectacle, production is in full swing for the track that will reverberate around the world when 20 international teams come together across the Caribbean and United States from June 1-29. The anthem is being produced by Michael “Tano” Montano and will be launched in the coming weeks, together with the music video, which will feature cameos from several well-known superstars.
Grammy-award winning artist Sean Paul expressed delight to be working on the project.
“Cricket has always been a major part of our culture, so I'm honoured to record the official anthem for the T20 World Cup. I'm a big fan of Kes and the track will feature a nice touch of the Caribbean, with some dance, to an international vibe and of course Soca - it will be a real anthem for people to sing out and feel the spirit of unity," he shared.
Soca superstar Kes, whose given name is Kees Dieffenthaller, echoed similar sentiments.
"Our mission has always been about bringing worlds together, so blending cricket, (dear to us in the Caribbean), with music is a powerful combination. Shoutout to Sean Paul, Tano, and the whole team for creating this musical vibe. Can't wait for everyone to sing along to this worldwide anthem and bring the party to stadiums across the West Indies and USA," Kes noted.
The anthem will add to the excitement that has been building since the World Cup trophy tour launch in New York. The Caribbean leg of the trophy tour continued in Barbados on Friday.
Claire Furlong, ICC's General Manager, Marketing and Communications welcomed the excitement around the tournament.
“Excitement is building towards the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, with the first match between USA and Canada starting in just 50 days' time at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas. We are delighted to have two globally recognised artists who are at the top of their genres in Sean Paul and Kes produce our tournament anthem, which will set the tone for the biggest cricket carnival spectacle ever. Fans can expect a song that will reflect the Caribbean identity, while retaining universal appeal for global cricket fans, themed around the event’s marketing campaign ‘Out of this World’," Furlong shared.
Meanwhile, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Tournament Director Fawwaz Baksh concurred.
"The upcoming launch of the official tournament anthem led by Grammy Award winner Sean Paul and Soca icon Kes comes as we get ready to launch party-stand tickets which is something fans have been eagerly awaiting. Adding to the already hyped excitement, the World Cup trophy tour is now in the Caribbean and people from all walks of life are looking forward to seeing the coveted trophy in person. It’s an exciting time in the West Indies and USA and we are looking forward to welcoming fans from around the world to be part of an out of this world T20 World Cup experience," Baksh said.
The ICC's announcement of the artists to feature on the official anthem comes as party-stand tickets for World Cup matches are also set to go on sale on April 15, at tickets.t20worldcup.com, with prices starting at just US$25. General tickets are also available for purchase on the ticketing website and will be available at box offices across the Caribbean when they open in the coming weeks.
Party-stand tickets will be available for all matches across the Caribbean, including those for the Group Stage, Super 8, semi-finals and final. Additionally, limited hospitality package options are available for all matches across the West Indies. In the USA, packages to all eight matches in New York, including for India v Pakistan on June 9, are now available to purchase.
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Warm-Up matches confirmed
The official warm-up match fixtures for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 have been announced. Matches are scheduled to be played from Monday 27 May to Saturday 1 June across the USA and at two venues in Trinidad and Tobago in the West Indies.
The venues to host the 16 warm up matches are the Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Grand Prairie, Texas; Broward County Stadium, Broward County, Florida and Queen’s Park Oval and Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad and Tobago.
Warm-up fixtures will be 20 overs per side and will not carry international T20 status as teams will be allowed to field all members of their 15-player squad. In a change from the previous rights cycle, teams will now have the option of playing up to two warm-up matches depending on arrival time at the event.
The West Indies against Australia fixture at Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago on Thursday 30 May will be open to fans, tickets will be available at tickets.t20worldcup.com or box offices located at the National Cricket Centre and Queen’s Park Oval from 16 May.
Warm-up match schedule:
Monday 27 May
Canada v Nepal, Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Grand Prairie, Texas 10h30
Oman v Papua New Guinea, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad and Tobago 15h00
Namibia v Uganda, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad and Tobago 19h00
Tuesday 28 May
Sri Lanka v Netherlands, Broward County Stadium, Broward County, Florida 10h30
Bangladesh v USA, Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Grand Prairie, Texas 10h30
Australia v Namibia, Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago 19h00
Wednesday 29 May
South Africa intra-squad, Broward County Stadium, Broward County, Florida 10h30
Afghanistan v Oman, Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago 13h00
Thursday 30 May
Nepal v USA, Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Grand Prairie, Texas 10h30
Scotland v Uganda, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad and Tobago 10h30
Netherlands v Canada, Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Grand Prairie, Texas 15h00
Namibia v Papua New Guinea, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad and Tobago 15h00
West Indies v Australia, Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago 19h00
Friday 31 May
Ireland v Sri Lanka, Broward County Stadium, Broward County, Florida 10h30
Scotland v Afghanistan, Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago 10h30
Saturday 1 June
Bangladesh v India, Venue TBC USA
IPL: Washout confirms SRH play-off place
Sunrisers Hyderabad are into the Indian Premier League play-offs despite their game against Gujarat Titans being abandoned without even doing the toss due to rain.
SRH move onto 15 points, with one game remaining, but are now ensured a top-four finish for the first time since 2020.
Their top-two hopes have taken a hit though – they have to beat Punjab Kings in their final game and hope Rajasthan Royals lose to Kolkata Knights Riders to finish second.
The Titans were already out of play-off contention after their previous game against KKR was also called off due to a heavy storm without hitting a ball. They finish their season currently third from bottom, though that could change depending on results in the final few matches.
Bolt joined by multiple sports stars for first look at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Ambassador Usain Bolt got a first look at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium from the best seats in the house, along with cricket legends and New York sports icons.
The Jamaican sprint legend was joined in this special preview by USA cricketers Corey Anderson and Monak Patel along with cricket legend Sir Curtly Ambrose (West Indies), Shoaib Malik (Pakistan), and Liam Plunkett (England). Also present during this landmark event was a star-studded line-up of New York sports stars, including John Starks (NBA / New York Knicks), Elena Delle Donne (WNBA/USA), Bartolo Colon (MLB/New York Yankees-Mets), Victor Cruz (NFL/New York Giants), and Ibtihaj Muhammad (Fencing/USA).
To commemorate the occasion, the stars all signed a giant cricket bat, which will be present at the venue for all eight ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 matches hosted there between June 3-12. The event marks the official final countdown to the first ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in New York, with Sri Lanka and South Africa set to clash in the venue's first match on June 3.
Bolt was confident the venue would provide an exciting and energetic cricket experience.
“Coming from the Caribbean where cricket is a part of life, I’m very excited to be part of the T20 World Cup coming to the USA for the first time, co-hosting with the West Indies. Getting one of the sport’s biggest events into the USA is a big milestone and can provide a launching pad leading towards cricket’s inclusion in the LA Olympics in 2028," he said.
“The new stadium is going to be a fantastic place to watch from. It’s very enclosed and you feel very close to the action. I can imagine it will be full of energy when cricket fans get to Nassau County International Stadium next month," Bolt noted.
Brett Jones, CEO of T20 USA Inc. called the event a fitting welcome to cricket in the USA.
“Today was a fantastic celebration, showcasing a truly out of this world stadium. Having Usain and a host of New York sports stars and Olympic legends to experience it was fantastic and a fitting welcome to cricket in the USA," Jones said.
“Having Curtly Ambrose, Liam Plunkett, Shoaib Malik, Corey Anderson and Monak Patel here and seeing their response to the stadium and the playing surface was also pretty special. It gives us a real sense of what the fans can expect next month," he added.
The 34,000-seater temporary stadium is the first of its kind in international cricket, and is also believed to be the largest ever constructed in the United States.
Featured at the unveiling were extensive hospitality and media pavilions on the north and south ends of the venue, which join the east and west general admission stands. Among the new additions are the Cabana seats in the North pavilion along with the Corner Club seats with a private party area.
The stadium is one of the three venues in the USA for the upcoming mega-event. Florida and Texas will also host matches from the event.
The USA are co-hosts for the event alongside the West Indies, where 39 matches will be played across six venues. The Final will be held on 29 June in Barbados.
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