Businesses in Leeds expecting T20 World Cup boost

With 200,000 tickets sold across the competition and 40,000 people attending the opening weekend, organisers expect the ICC Women's T20 World Cup to be the biggest so far. As the tournament arrives in Leeds, local businesses say they expect to benefit from the international event coming to the city.

For Hyde Park-based Chef Shabba, the world cup will bring with it a flavour of home.

"Cricket has been a big part of my family, coming from Jamaica," he says.

"My dad loved cricket so much, we used to go to all the matches - so cricket is just something that makes me happy."

His self-titled restaurant, Chef Shabba's Kitchen, serves homemade Caribbean food.

Located on Brudenell Road, the business could benefit from increased footfall in the area as supporters head to and from Headingley Stadium.

"Cricket goes well with food and we get a great crowd," he says.

"We get people from Pakistan, India, Australia - all over.

"On the day I'll be up very early preparing and I will have my West Indian flag."

He adds: "We're blessed having a business so close to the stadium, because we get so many different people and cultures - it's beautiful, it's a great vibe."

Headingley will host five ICC Women's T20 World Cup games over the next seven days:

• Australia v Bangladesh and India v Netherlands - Wednesday
• West Indies v Scotland - Thursday
• England v Scotland - Saturday
• Australia v Pakistan - Tuesday

More than 25,000 fans are expected to attend across the week in Leeds.

Self-proclaimed cricket obsessives Rameswaran Selvarathinam and Sandhiya Prasad own Munch Cafe on North Lane in Headingley.

The couple say they too are looking forward to an international competition being played right on their doorstep.

"I play cricket. My wife used to play cricket. My son is playing at the moment," Selvarathinam says.

"My youngest is going to turn four and she already watches cricket with us and is always running around at home with a small bat."

He continues: "During matches, 90% of customers are cricket fans. They come here for their sandwiches and they talk cricket with us.

"We won't be able to see the matches because we have to take care of the business, but I can hear the cheers whenever a wicket goes and the crowd roars."

The tournament is being seen as another big step forward for women's cricket, which has seen rapid growth in recent years.

There are now about 540 women's and girls' teams in Yorkshire, according to the Yorkshire Cricket Foundation - a rise of more than 70% since 2023.

It is a positive sign, says Prasad, who often struggled to play the game during her own childhood due to the way it was perceived.

"My mother used to stop me," she says.

"She used to say, 'This is not a woman's game. It's for the boys. You're not supposed to play cricket.'

"Things have changed - I love that my daughter is playing cricket. I encourage her, I want her to become a cricket player. Cricket is for everybody."

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