The Jamaican sprinter was recently unveiled as the ambassador of the T20 World Cup 2024, jointly hosted by the US and West Indies
Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt was recently unveiled as ambassador of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, which will kick-start from June 1 onwards. Bolt, who has won several gold medals in 100m and 200m races, believes that T20 is the best format as it is a perfect concoction of Tests and ODIs.
“When they started it was a great idea and still is. It compresses the game because you have to be strong and quick but also be strategic, set a field and get things done quickly. To me, it combines a Test match and one day to create the perfect game,” Bolt told PTI.
Bolt further added that cricket has always been in his blood given that his father is a huge fan of the sport and he, too, continues to catch up with the cricketing events around the globe.
“I grew up on cricket. My dad was a massive cricket fan and still is. It is something that I have always in my blood. To get to be a part of cricket again as an ambassador is wonderful. I never got to live my dream of being a cricketer so to be ambassador of T20 World Cup is wonderful,” he said.
While Bolt grew up watching the likes of Wasim Akram, Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose, he also revealed that, among the Indian contingent, he is also a fan of Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli.
“Over the years, one of my favourites growing up was Wasim Akram because of the in-swinging yorker that he had. Of course, Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose, all these guys that I admired over the years, they were so dominant in their space.
“I have also been a Sachin Tendulkar fan. He and Brian Lara were part of my life growing up. It was a great rivalry,” he said referring to the two legendary batters. Among the current lot, Bolt says “Kohli is the standout one for sure.”
The T20 World Cup will be the first major cricketing event hosted by the USA. It is seen as a dry run ahead of the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, where cricket is also expected to feature. The decision to have cricket at the event could eventually come down to the response at the T20 World Cup.
However, Bolt believes cricket will thrive in America. “I surely think the game can grow in the USA. When you have a presence in a country, people start gravitating towards it and want to know more about it,” Bold reckons.
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