Construction for an official cricket stadium in North Texas is underway, according to a news release from Major League Cricket (MLC). The stadium’s location in Grand Prairie is being converted from an existing stadium in the city. 

The announcement was made on July 26, with MLC sharing their excitement on Twitter, saying, “We are excited to announce phase 1 of the $20M conversion began this week. Set to open in spring of 2023, our flagship MLC stadium will be the most extensive cricket facility in the USA.” 

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Improvements to the Grand Prairie Stadium include enhancing and refurbishing all 13 restrooms, installing premium seating options near the field, and redoing the stadium bar. The stadium is already a candidate for hosting the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 matches. The identity of the cricket team has not yet been announced. 

Anurag Jain, a managing partner of Perot Jain, LP, and chairman of Access Healthcare, spoke to WFAA about the stadium and his expectation that the sport will see a “tremendous rise in interest for the game among North Texas sports fans” when the venue is complete. “I am excited to see the vision of bringing Major League Cricket to the U.S. and to North Texas is beginning with the construction of the Grand Prairie Stadium,” Jain said.

“What has been a grassroots sport with tremendous support will now have a home stadium with world-class professional matches for many fans to watch,” he said.

Once the improvements are complete, the stadium’s capacity will exceed 7,000 fans.  

Additional enhancements in the future will include additions of batting lanes and training nets. Two more outside turf fields will also be added. 

The renovated stadium will also be able to host and broadcast international events. 

Burt Cockley, a former professional cricket player, moved to McKinney to work as a strength and conditioning coach for MLC. He spoke to Axios about the new Texas cricket stadium. 

While the support for cricket has not grown as quickly in America as in other countries, Cockley prophesied the new stadium would help change that soon.

“My mates are so excited by the prospect of coming to the U.S. to play in Major League Cricket and to be part of this new, emerging game here in the U.S.,” Cockley said. “I couldn’t imagine what it’s going to be like with India versus Australia or India versus Pakistan, and it’s a full house … it’s going to be a satisfying day for everyone.”

The City of Grand Prairie gives the cricket stadium a central location in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro region. Grand Prairie already has an established fan base for the sport. 

“The City of Grand Prairie is an ideal location for a premier cricket stadium in the United States, with its strong cricket fan base and demographics in surrounding areas, the favorable time zone for broadcast in major international cricket markets, and the Dallas-Fort Worth region’s pedigree as a home for major sports teams and stadiums,” the news release states. 

Grand Prairie Stadium is expected to open for cricket matches in the spring of 2023. 

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