Eisenhower Park gets Cricket World Cup memorial plaque

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman unveiled a plaque at Eisenhower Park on Sunday commemorating the Cricket World Cup that once filled the field.

The June 2024 ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup drew more than 150,000 people to various matches. One sold-out match between India and Pakistan brought more than 34,000 fans to the stadium that day, Newsday reported. The 12-day event marked the first time the United States hosted the cricket World Cup.

"The older people who emigrated here, maybe they came here from the Bahamas, maybe they came here from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka ... They said to me, ‘I never thought I would see another professional cricket match in person in my life. This was great,’" Blakeman said. "That’s why it was a tremendous success."

He added, laughing, "When the Australian team was here, I think we ran out of beer."

After soccer, cricket is the second-most popular sport in the world with an estimated 2.5 billion fans, according to the World Atlas. That’s compared to popular American sports like basketball and baseball, which have an estimated 800 million and 500 million fans, respectively.

Its history dates back to 1500s England. In the centuries that followed, cricket became wildly popular in South Asia, South Africa and the Caribbean through British colonization.

Asked whether the cricket cup would return to Nassau County in the future, Blakeman said he was open to it. "Tell the World Cup, let's talk," he said.

Faraz Essani, vice captain of Long Island United Cricket Club, said hosting international players and fans for his beloved sport was memorable beyond words.

"It was the most amazing feeling," Essani told Newsday. "The U.S. never had the cricket cup here. It was only because of Nassau County that we were able to bring cricket here."

Getting to watch the India-Pakistan match was "beyond insane," he said.

Harry Singh, host committee chair for the event, billionaire founder and chief executive of Bolla Market and among Blakeman’s biggest donors, said the cup converted him into a cricket fan.

"It was an absolutely amazing event. It still gives me the memory of seeing the final match," he said.

On Sunday afternoon, dozens of kids wearing cricket jerseys invited Blakeman to join them on the field that was once surrounded by stadium seating. 

He took his place on the grass, gripping a bat and locking eyes with the bowler. A small child threw him the ball and missed.

"Are you a Democrat?" Blakeman joked.