Usain Bolt has always expressed his love for cricket and how it played a crucial role in his childhood, growing up as a West Indies fan. Regardless of his stellar achievements as a track and field star, his soft spot for cricket eventually earned him the role of ambassador for the sport’s World Cup this year.
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup begins on June 1st, and Bolt has been an integral part of their promotions for a while. His love for the sport began at a young age when he almost pursued it professionally till he discovered his sprinting skills. Life has simply come full circle for him after his new role, and he has been having fun traveling and meeting cricketers and fellow enthusiasts.
He recently visited the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York and was impressed by its grandeur. In an Instagram reel posted by the ICC, he spoke about how he had been excited about the upcoming matches and where his support lay.
Before he took sides, Bolt mentioned how he met former Antiguan cricket icon Sir Curtly Ambrose at the stadium. His joy knew no bounds as he saw the celebrity he had been admiring for a long time.
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“I just saw Curtly Ambrose, one of my heroes growing up. So for me, it’s just a wonderful thing!”
He immediately had his heart on the West Indies team regardless of any other factor surrounding the team’s current ranking. He recalled his father teaching him to support players from his land no matter what.
“I think when it comes to T20s, we’re always a better team. We have aggressive players, good players overall so… I’m gonna support…”
Bolt himself has attempted to play the sport on several occasions and had an affinity towards bowling. Decades ago, he and his friend, iconic cricketer Chris Gayle, even had a friendly match amongst themselves.
Back when Chris Gayle invited Usain Bolt to a match
Gayle and Bolt have been friends for a long time, and their camaraderie is to look forward to for all the teasing and taunting. In a previous interview that the ICC posted a glimpse of, both recalled a match that took place several years ago that established just how their mutual love for the sport had blossomed.
In 2009, Gayle organized a charity match and invited Bolt to participate in some good deeds for the land. The friendly competition soon turned into a challenge where the Olympian aimed to bowl Gayle out. He succeeded after delivering a bouncer, and the cricket icon admitted during a recent interview that he was pretty good at it too!
