London Stadium eyes a cricketing ‘debut’

What happens when an Olympic stadium gears up to host cricket matches? Well, if all goes well, the London Stadium is likely to host two matches over a weekend in the 2019 World Cup.

While it had been thought the London Stadium could host Essex T20 matches next summer, this now appears unlikely. The World Cup matches would be the ground’s first stint with cricket.

What happens when an Olympic stadium gears up to host cricket matches? Well, if all goes well, the London Stadium is likely to host two matches over a weekend in the 2019 World Cup. According to a report by The Guardian , the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) hopes that it will be a trend-setting festival of cricket.

To add more gloss to the event, the organisers are planning to host one day-night match on Friday, followed by a day game on Sunday. And that’s not all—India and Pakistan are almost certain to play in one of those games. The other two teams would be England and Australia.

With a crowd capacity of 60,000, the India-Pakistan game could certainly attract a major crowd, given its intensity. The World Cup organising committee will meet to discuss the use of the stadium on May 11, and a final call will be taken in July. However, it all depends on how quickly the venue adapts to athletics after its first season being used by West Ham. While it had been thought the London Stadium could host Essex T20 matches next summer, this now appears unlikely. The World Cup matches would be the ground’s first stint with cricket.