Usain Bolt: Cricket is in my blood, T20 is the perfect form

Usain Bolt Champions T20 as the Ultimate Cricket Format

Usain Bolt, the legendary sprinter with eight Olympic gold medals, knows all about life in the fast lane. It's no surprise that he picked T20 cricket as his favorite form of the game—a sport that runs in his "blood," thanks to his passionate cricket-loving father.


Growing up in Jamaica, Bolt harbored dreams of becoming a fast bowler. Now, as the ambassador for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup, he's finally getting to live his cricket dream. In a telephonic interview from New York, Bolt shared his excitement: "I grew up on cricket. My dad was a massive cricket fan and still is. To actually get to be a part of cricket again as an ambassador, it is wonderful. I never got to live my dream of being a cricketer, so being the ambassador of the T20 World Cup is truly special."

Bolt, who called time on his illustrious track career in 2017, remains unmatched in charisma. As he heads toward the makeshift cricket stadium in New York—one of the three T20 World Cup venues in the American mainland—he expresses child-like enthusiasm. New York will host the India-Pakistan clash on June 9.

Despite his busy schedule, Bolt tries to catch up on T20 matches whenever he can. He believes that T20 cricket is the best format of the game. "When T20s started, it was a great idea and still is. It compresses the game—you have to be strong, quick, and strategic. To me, it combines the excitement of Test matches and one-day cricket to create the perfect game."

Bolt isn't alone in his admiration for T20 cricket. In the Caribbean, elite cricketers gain recognition for their performances in T20 leagues worldwide. Test cricket faces challenges in the region, and Bolt agrees that the future belongs to the slam-bang format. "People love excitement, and that is the key," he asserts.

The upcoming ICC T20 World Cup, jointly hosted by the US and the West Indies, promises thrilling cricket. The first modular stadium in international cricket, Eisenhower Park in New York, will host eight of the 16 matches in the US, with Dallas and Texas hosting four each. The tournament kicks off on June 1, with a warm-up match between India and Bangladesh.

As the sport gains traction in the US, Bolt believes that the local American community will eventually embrace cricket. For now, T20 remains the heartbeat of the game—a format that resonates with fans worldwide. ????????

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Press Time staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.