Smith pads up for CPL hit in USA

Steve Smith will aid cricket's latest attempt to sell itself in the United States, a lucrative market that has proven laboriously hard to crack.

The Caribbean Premier League has taken three Twenty20 games to Florida this season, having hosted fixtures in Lauderhill since 2016.

Smith's Barbados Tridents face the Jamaica Tallawahs on Thursday in the CPL's final Florida fixture.

Smith, currently serving a 12-month ban imposed by Cricket Australia in the wake of the Cape Town scandal, will help put bums on seats.

Growing the game in the world's third-most populous nation and largest economy has been a long-term goal of both CA and the International Cricket Council.

North America is already CA's third-biggest overseas television market, reflecting its immense potential.

CA is leading a push for the US to host a major tournament, most likely a World T20, during the next cycle that starts in 2023.

CPL chief executive Damien O'Donohoe believes it is a realistic goal if appropriately supported.

"There needs to be buy-in. From the ICC, Cricket Australia, India and others," O'Donohoe said.

"It's not going to be a quick win.

"But if it was agreed the US will host a World Cup in 10 or 12 years, and there was a resolve to build towards that, then we firmly believe there's a huge opportunity.

"There's a huge expat community of Australians, Indians, Pakistanis and English. They've been starved of top-class cricket."

O'Donohoe cited the example of the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

It broke attendance records, was a major financial success and expanded soccer's US profile beyond an expat-dominated fanbase.

"The model has already worked. It doesn't need to be reinvented," O'Donohoe said.

Poor governance remains a stumbling block but recent USA Cricket elections were a positive step forward.

Suitable stadiums will also be an immense challenge.

Lauderhill is currently the only ICC-accredited venue in the US.

O'Donohoe suggested converted baseball grounds, used during the 2015 exhibition series involving Shane Warne and Sachin Tendulkar, would not be viable for a showpiece tournament.

"We looked at baseball stadiums every which way and it's just not possible to play," he said.

"Not proper, competitive cricket."

Tim Paine, Justin Langer, James Sutherland and Pat Howard, all in the US on a study tour, are not expected to cross paths with Smith.

Meanwhile, David Warner scored 14 as his St Lucia Stars were rolled for just 69 in a seven-wicket CPL loss to St Kitts and Nevis.