Grand Prairie Stadium to host cricket T20 World Cup

Why it matters: Cricket fans in the U.S. have long yearned to host international cricket matches, and Grand Prairie Stadium was built with that goal in mind.

• The stadium's selection as a key site for the T20 World Cup highlights North Texas' influence in the cricket community, both nationally and internationally.

The intrigue: World Cups allow countries — including powerhouses like England, Pakistan, India and Australia — to compete for cricket bragging rights. They're also a chance for relatively new teams like Canada and the United States to showcase their budding talents.

• India and Pakistan have one of the biggest cricket rivalries, putting a lot of egos on the line around World Cup time.

Details: Twenty countries are competing in this year's tournament. They'll be divided into four groups for a total of 55 matches.

• Florida and New York are the other two U.S. hosts.
• The top two countries from each group will advance to the Super Eight round, which will be played in the West Indies along with the semifinal and final matches.

Zoom in: The Grand Prairie matches feature the U.S. vs. Canada on June 1, the Netherlands vs. Nepal on June 4, U.S. vs. Pakistan on June 6 and Sri Lanka vs. Bangladesh on June 7.

• Tickets aren't on sale yet, but fans can register for an alert when they become available.