ISLAMABAD, May 24 (DNA): The International Cricket Council (ICC) has named Pakistan’s iconic all-rounder Shahid Afridi as the latest name on the star-studded roster of Ambassadors for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and West Indies beginning June 1.
A veteran of six T20 World Cups, two of which as captain, Afridi spearheaded Pakistan’s 2009 triumph with a Player of the Match performance in the final at Lord’s, and will feature in a range of promotional activities around the World Cup and lend expert insights to the event through a series of guest columns, said a press release.
Shahid Afridi, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2009 winner, said, “The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is an event that is very close to my heart. From being Player of the Tournament in the inaugural edition to lifting the trophy in 2009, some of my favourite career highlights have come from competing on this stage”.
“T20 World Cups have gone from strength to strength in recent years, and I’m thrilled to be part of this edition, where we will see more teams, more matches and even more drama than ever before”, he continued.
He expressed his excitement to witness the India v Pakistan fixture on June 9. He said that it is one of the great rivalries in sport and New York will be a fitting stage for this unmissable encounter between two great teams.
Claire Furlong, ICC General Manager – Marketing and Communications, said, “Shahid competed in six ICC Men’s T20 World Cups, two of which as captain and delivering a Player of the Match performance when winning the trophy in 2009, so who better to join our all-star Ambassador team”.
“He’s a fan favourite around the world and alongside Yuvraj Singh, Chris Gayle and eight-time Olympic gold-medallist Usain Bolt, will be bringing fans closer to the event ahead of what is set to be the biggest T20 World Cup ever”, he maintained.
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup would be played from June 1 to 29 with co-hosts USA taking on Canada in the opening fixture at Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas. A total of 55 matches would be played by 20 teams across nine venues, culminating in the final on June 29 in Barbados.
The historic first match at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium would be played on June 3 between 2014 champions Sri Lanka and South Africa with 10 teams to feature across eight matches in New York.
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