Dwayne Bravo, Shahid Afridi to play in cricket tournament at UT Dallas

Some of the world's top cricket players will visit North Texas in October to compete in a tournament that will test a new format of the sport.

Driving the news: The Sixty Strikes Tournament will take place Oct. 4-14 at UT Dallas, the university and National Cricket League USA announced Monday.

Why it matters: Dallas-Fort Worth has become an epicenter of cricket in the U.S. in recent years as the sport continues its expansion in the country.

• "As cricket expands its global fan base, Texas will hold front-row seats to its growth across the nation," Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement.

State of play: Sixty Strikes will feature six teams playing an abbreviated format of cricket, with 60 balls pitched. Matches will last around 90 minutes, allowing for more action-packed games than traditional formats of cricket.

• There will be around 2,040 bleacher seats and VIP tents. Organizers plan to bring in entertainers from Hollywood and India for the tournament.
• Veteran players from around the world have been recruited for the tournament, including the West Indies' Sunil Narine and Dwayne Bravo, England's Jason Roy and Pakistan's Shahid Afridi.

What's next: UT Dallas is improving its facilities, including its cricket field, to prepare for the tournament.

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