Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Israeli Operation Rescues Four Hostages Held In Gaza; Massive Protests Erupt After Record Far-Right Gains; Biden Family And Friends Attend Hunter Biden's Closing Arguments; Four Instructors From Iowa's Cornell College Attacked In Park; Mexico drought at worst levels in more than a decade; Rising sea levels force residents off of Panamanian island; All eyes on U.S.A. ahead of major showdown in Men's 2024 Cricket World Cup in U.S. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired June 11, 2024 - 02:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:00:16]

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world and to everyone streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Lynda Kinkade.

Just ahead, Security Council consensus, the United Nations passes a U.S. resolution calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

Europe's far-right reckoning and how the continent is grappling with the fallout after an election that is up and the political status quo.

Plus, an island in Panama is in danger of disappearing. Hundreds of families are forced to flee their homes for good or the results of rising sea levels and manmade climate change.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN NEWSROOM with Lynda Kinkade.

KINKADE: We begin this hour with a renewed push for a ceasefire deal in Gaza as the United Nations holds a key vote on a plan to end the fighting between Israel and Hamas.

The U.N. Security Council on Monday adopted a U.S. drafted resolution, which endorses a proposal for a permanent ceasefire and the release of hostages held by Hamas, the resolution causing both parties to implement the terms "without delay and without condition." Hamas said it welcomed the resolution and is ready to engage with mediators.

But whether Israel and Hamas will move forward remains unclear. Here's some of their reaction from the U.N.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: Colleagues, today this council sent a clear message to Hamas, accept the ceasefire deal on the table. Israeli -- Israel has already agreed to this deal and the fighting could stop today if Hamas would do the same. RIYAD MANSOUR, PALESTINIAN OBSERVER TO THE UNITED NATIONS: The proof is in the pudding. We will see who are the ones who are interested to see this resolution to become the reality and those who are obstructing it and they want to continue the war of genocide against our people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well, all this coming as the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits Israel where he sat down with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Blinken stressed to him that the U.S. and other world leaders will stand behind the proposal on the table, one that he says Israel has already agreed to.

The Secretary of State also met with Benny Gantz just days after the Israeli war cabinet member resigned from the country's emergency government.

A new video and new details are emerging about the Israeli operation that rescued four hostages held in Gaza. CNN's Paula Hancocks has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): New video from the Israeli military shows the rescue of Israeli hostages from central Gaza it says hundreds of personnel were involved in this rare daytime operation. Three hostages locked in an apartment in one multi-story residential building. Another held in a flat 650 feet away in a densely populated neighborhood. Models of the buildings were built weeks before to train forces.

This is how Israel's hostage rescue mission looked from the ground. Airstrikes, explosions, residents running to find safety that doesn't have to exist in Gaza.

Hostages were flown by helicopter back to Israel and to emotional reunions with family who had dreamed of this moment for eight months.

Families who only heard about the mission once their loved ones were safe.

ORIT MEIR, MOTHER OF ALMOG MEIR JAN: I haven't stopped smiling since my Almog was returned to me, but the remaining hostages need the deal to get home safely. There is a deal on the table. We ask the Israeli government to move forward with the deal.

HANCOCKS (voice over): The doctor who has treated the hostages since they arrived, tells me, despite appearing in good condition, all four are malnourished.

DR. ITAI PESSACH, TREATING RESCUED HOSTAGES: Their muscles are extremely wasted. There is damage to some other systems because of that.

HANCOCKS (voice over): He says they were moved frequently and beaten by their captors.

PESSACH: It was harsh, harsh experience with a lot of abuse almost every day, every hour, both physical, mental, and other types, and that is something that is beyond comprehension.

HANCOCKS (voice over): Dr. Pessach also treated some of the hostages released in November and says the psychological damage of these four is significantly worse.

PESSACH: All of them had faith but losing that faith, I think, is where you get to the breaking point. And I'm happy that these guys are here but there are others losing the faith in us, in humankind.

[02:05:03]

HANCOCKS (voice over): Residents in Nuseirat, central Gaza, are in a state of shock, struggling to deal with the aftermath of Saturday, which neighboring countries and the E.U.'s top diplomat have called a massacre.

This woman says most of those trapped under the rubble are women and children. Houses are filled with displaced people. Israel committed a massacre.

Hospital directors and Gaza officials say more than 270 were killed, hundreds more injured. The IDF says there were fewer than 100 casualties. There's no breakdown of civilians versus fighters. But this hospital is filled with women and children.

Pete Hegseth, CNN, Tel Aviv.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, massive protests across France after the far-right down a major blow to Europe's establishment leaders over the weekend. Thousands of protesters turned out in Paris Monday, with some holding signs that read no fascists in power.

After four days of voting in all 27 E.U. countries, far-right parties are expected to win a record number of seats in the next European Parliament.

CNN's Fred Pleitgen reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): A landslide defeat for French President Emmanuel Macron's party in the European elections.

Macron immediately dissolving French parliament and calling for snap elections in France.

The decision is serious, a hard one, he said, but it is above all an act of confidence, confidence in you, my fellow citizens.

The call came as the far-right La Rassemblement National won around twice as many votes in the election as Macron's party.

Sluggish economies in many European countries and the migration crisis similar to the southern border in the U.S. where the top issues for voters across Europe. Many of the right-wing parties gaining ground also sympathetic to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, like Marine Le Pen of the La Rassemblement National, who's been a Kremlin ally for years.

The French have spoken and this historic election shows that when the people vote, the people win, she said.

In Germany, Chancellor Olaf Scholz's party also suffered for a beat down coming in third behind the right-wing alternative for Germany, or AFD.

The AFD with big gains even after their main candidate claimed there were decent people in Hitler's Waffen-SS and employed and accused Chinese spy in his office during the election campaign.

We had a bumpy start to the election campaign and then really caught up in the final sprint, the party chairman said, after all the prophecies of doom, after the barrage of the last weeks, we are the second strongest force.

Europe's far-right, often skeptical of relations with the U.S., will be a strong force in Europe's parliament.

And one of former President Donald Trump's strongest allies in Europe, Viktor Orban of Hungary, also an E.U. skeptic, at a strong showing.

To sum up the results of the European parliamentary election, we can send in a telegram to Brussels saying, migration stopped, gender stopped, the war stopped, Soros (ph) stopped, Brussels stopped, he said.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Berlin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE:For more I want to welcome CNN's European Affairs commentator, Dominic Thomas. He joins us from Berlin. Good to have you with us.

DOMINIC THOMAS, CNN EUROPEAN AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Thank you, Lynda, for having me on your show.

KINKADE: So, the French president whose party suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Marine Le Pen's far-right party said this is not a good result for those who defend Europe.

And of course, he called the snap election that will happen in a few weeks before the summer Olympics. Some suggests he's reckless, others call this strategic. Where do you stand?

THEODORE: Well, I think it's a strategic move, Lynda. At this moment, and since he was reelected in 2022, he lost his legislative majority. So, everything he's done since then has been highly contested, divisive and polarizing. And I think that the E.U. vote reflects the sort of the level of dissatisfaction in France today.

But an E.U. election is very different than a national election in France, the turnout is far greater in the national election. It's often a two round stage to select the candidates rather than direct election to the Parliament in Strasbourg. And I feel like at this stage that the situation he is in -- is unsustainable. And essentially, he's going to the French people with a very simple question. Are you really serious about me being in a power sharing agreement where you could potentially have a prime minister coming from the National Rally party of Marine Le Pen given her positions on Europe, given her positions on Russia and the conflict in Ukraine?

[02:10:02]

And I think to that extent, it's worth for him playing this out in the public space and allowing voters to go back to the ballot, once again, to weigh in on this particular question, but in a specifically national context at this stage, Lynda.

KINKADE: You make an interesting point there because I have heard that some say that European Parliamentary votes is sometimes seen as a protest vote. If that's true, what are the expectations for the French election?

THOMAS: Well, I think in the French election, first of all, it's a nominal election for the president. It's a semi-presidential system, Emmanuel Macron position remains and in place until 2027.

It's about the question of who he has to appoint as a prime minister, what will the parliamentary configuration look like and what will be the pressures on him to appoint somebody from potentially a far-right political party, I think that these elections will return a very divided parliament in which there will be no clear majority, that when the Independence Party is very likely to end up being ahead, he then has to make another strategic decision, do I give them an opportunity to share power with the expectation that over the next two or three years, that kind of exposure will reveal to the French people their lack of kind of preparedness for this position.

On the other hand, of course, this could potentially backfire by further legitimizing and rendering this far-right party palatable in France. And this is certainly a pattern that we have seen in other areas of the European Union, where traditional parties have been increasingly entertaining, coalitions with these -- with these particular groups. We've seen this in the Netherlands.

And of course, there is a success of Giorgia Meloni in Italy with bringing essentially a far-right party to power.

KINKADE: And this obviously is a risk that Macron is willing to take. But looking at a big picture, when you look at the shift to the right across Europe, the nationalist anti-immigrant sentiment seems to be growing. What could that mean for Donald Trump given his American first policies anti-immigrant, anti-institution, is this potentially a positive signal for him? THOMAS: Well, I think it's a positive signal for him. And I think it's a warning for voters that this is playing out in other areas of the world, and that there essentially is a situation in which there are governments and elected officials who are deeply committed to protecting democratic institutions.

And on the other hand, you have political groups, parties and leaders who are determined to undermine the judiciary, the freedom of the press, and the legislative process.

And right now, certainly, when it comes to the European Union context, they see in the words of President Biden, a deep commitment to democratic institutions, that the European E.U. landscape, as we have seen, is divided.

And there are many leaders and many political groups who see in President Trump's track record, actions and words, a potential ally. And they also see in him somebody who is not committed to the multilateral order to the strength of the European Union or to NATO.

And so, to that extent, this particular election in the E.U. is an indication as to where things are potentially heading in the United States, and the impact that this will have on further solidifying and consolidating those parties that performed very well in this recent election in the European Union.

KINKADE: This week, of course, the U.S. president heads to Italy for the G7 summit that he's going to meet with the French and German leaders for the first time since their parties took this hit in the European elections. The U.S. we know is hoping that it will have a $50 billion loan for Ukraine using frozen Russian funds. But other nations must sign off on it. What are the expectations for that summit?

THOMAS: Well, I think that at this moment is it's incredibly -- there's a lot of uncertainty defining these moves that the two leading most important European leaders Scholz in Germany and Macron in France. And also the countries that proportionately get the largest numbers of seats of the European Union were severely dealt a blow at this recent (ph) election.

And I think that their ability to concentrate and focus on this particular conflict now when they have these important domestic issues on hand, legislative elections, upcoming federal elections in Germany with just about a year's time is going to make it very difficult for them to continue to articulate those particular questions.

Just a few weeks ago, Lynda, Emmanuel Macron was talking about French troops on the ground. He's had to walk back that particular question right now and turn his attention almost exclusively to what's happening in France.

And so, I think that we are going to have a G7 meeting in which many of the leaders present are distracted by the particular context, let alone the fact that there's an upcoming general election in the U.K. as well.

[02:15:02]

And so, focusing on these issues, focusing on the question of defending that Eastern Front with Russia, with E.U. enlargement and ongoing military and financial support to conflict in Ukraine are serious questions, and of which the outcome right now remains highly uncertain, Lynda.

KINKADE: Just looking at the European Parliamentary elections, it seems quite clear that when you consider their votes five years ago that the so called Green Deal was a major issue. Why do you think voters have turned against climate focused parties?

THOMAS: This is a really important question. And in some ways, I find this to be sort of the -- you know, the sort of the tragic development of this we saw in Germany, the greens entering into a coalition agreement and the European Union successfully pushing for a new Green Deal and highlighting the importance of environmental issues of the risks and dangers of climate change.

But it does seem that at the end of the day, the focus on security, the focus on conflict in Europe, an organization, let's face it, that was created for the process of fostering peace and prosperity, that peace component is the greatest threat that people see now.

And at the same time, these right-wing xenophobic arguments around immigration, threats to the identity of the European Union have captured the focus of the electorate.

And unfortunately, the really crucial issue of the day, which is the environmental question is now taking a backseat in these deliberations, particularly since the green skeptics are overwhelmingly to be found on the right-wing and far right wing fringe of the electoral map in Europe today and the configuration of the European Union, Lynda.

KINKADE: Dominic Thomas, always good to have you on the program. Thanks so much for joining us.

THOMAS: Thank you, Lynda.

KINKADE: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Berlin to attend the Ukraine recovery conference. Mr. Zelenskyy says the top priority for the conference will be Ukraine's battered energy sector.

Ukrainians have dealt with widespread blackouts for more than two years because Russian forces have relentlessly targeted Ukrainian power stations with airstrikes.

But on the eve of that conference, the head of Ukraine's agency for restoration and infrastructure development, announced that he's stepping down. Mustafa Nayyem says unnecessary bureaucracy is keeping him from doing his job. He blames opposition and resistance by the Ukrainian government for canceling projects and says the systematic obstacles make his work impossible.

Well, in just a few days, Switzerland will host the long awaited Ukraine peace summit. Security is tied ahead of those talks and Swiss officials, including the country's president, a warning about a sharp rise in cyber-attacks and disinformation.

Organizers hope it will be the first step towards finding a path to end the war. More than 90 nations and organizations are set to attend.

Donald Trump has wrapped up a virtual interview with New York probation officers, their report will help Judge Juan Merchan decide the former president sentence after he was convicted of 34 felony counts for falsifying business records.

One source described the 30 minute interview as routine and uneventful and others say the former president was polite, respectful and answered all questions.

Sentencing is scheduled for July 11th. Options include probation, fines and community service.

The former president could get up to four years in prison for each count up to 20 years. The judge will likely consider Trump's age and status as a first time nonviolent offender when deciding the sentence.

Well, the jury in Hunter Biden's federal gun trial will continue deliberations in the coming hours after they heard closing arguments in the case on Monday. The courtroom was packed with supporters of the president's son who decided not to testify in his own defense.

CNN's Paula Reid has the highlights from day six of the trial.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In a major show of support, Hunter's family members and pastor taking up three rows in court today.

CHRISTOPHER ALAN BULLOCK, REVEREND AND BIDEN FAMILY FRIEND: I've known the family for years and you don't abandon your friends and family in tough times.

REID (voice over): In closing arguments, prosecutors pointed to the gallery of supporters and said, those people are not evidence and reminded the jury that, "No one is above the law."

The prosecution directly addressed the most difficult element they have to prove that Hunter Biden knowingly lied on a federal background check form when purchasing the gun at the center of this case.

[02:20:00]

The defendant knew he used crack and was addicted to crack at the relevant time period, adding that Hunter would have been aware from his time in rehab that he had a problem with drugs.

Maybe if he had never gone to rehab, he could argue he didn't know he was an addict. At the end of his closing, prosecutor Leo Wise circled back to testimony from Hunter's daughter, Naomi, on Friday when she told the jury that when she returned her father's car to him on October 19th, 2018, she did not see any evidence of drugs.

But Wise reminded the jury Hunter's former girlfriend, Hallie Biden, his brother Beau Biden's widow, had testified that when she found the gun in the same car days later, she found it alongside drug paraphernalia. Defense attorney Abbe Lowell countered, warning jurors not to convict his client improperly, adding, It's time to end this case.

He compared the trial to a magician's trick trying to dupe the jury saying, watch this hand, pay no attention to the other one. He accused prosecutors of cherry-picking evidence to present a more damning timeline of Hunter's drug use and said his client was not lying when he marked down that he was not an addict on that federal form.

Lowell attacked two of Hunter's former girlfriends who both served as prosecution witnesses in this case. He noted Zoe Keston took pictures of Hunter with drugs but not in the key month of October 2018. He also reminded the jury that Hallie Biden could not remember specific details about when she found the gun in Hunter's car and noted Hunter was the one who told Hallie to file a police report for the missing gun after she threw it out.

Hunter did not take the stand to testify in his own defense in this case, a move that would have come with potential rewards and definite risks.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

REID (on camera): The jury will return to court tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday to continue deliberations. Now is in court Monday morning as the jury heard instructions from the judge, she went through line by line, explaining the rules that they have to follow as they undertake this historic decision.

Paula Reid, CNN, Wilmington, Delaware.

KINKADE: Still to come, four people from an American college stabbed in China. We'll have a live report with the details, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KINKADE: Welcome back. Authorities in Malawi is searching for a missing military aircraft which was carrying the country's vice president and nine other people. The plane left Malawi's capital shortly after 9:00 a.m., local time Monday, but it never arrived at its destination and was in fact advised not to land due to bad weather, and poor visibility. Authorities failed to make contact with that aircraft.

Saulos Chilima has served as Malawi's vice president for 10 years. He's a member of the United Transformation Movement Party, and has worked for multinational companies, including Coca-Cola.

[02:25:06]

Four instructors from Cornell College in the U.S. state of Iowa have been stabbed in China. The school says they were attacked at a public park in Jilin city in China's northeast during a visit to their partner university.

Not much is known about the victim's conditions and there's no word yet on a motive.

CNN's Kristie Lu Stout is covering this story and joins us live from Hong Kong. Good to have you with us, Kristie.

So, Cornell College employers brutally stabbed according to the Iowa representative for their district. What do you know about their condition right now? Are they still in hospital? And what more are you learning about this incident?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we are learning at least from the brother of one of the Americans who are stabbed that he is in stable condition now, unknown about the other individuals but this was a really chilling incident. This took place in broad daylight in a pack park on a public holiday in China involving four educators there from Iowa's Cornell College. They were wounded in this stabbing while visiting a public park in Jilin City, which is located in the northeast of China.

And I want to bring up video of the aftermath. Let's bring it up right now. in this social media video, you see the three wounded people, they're lying on the ground in Beishan Park in Jilin City, they are covered in blood. They are waiting for first responders.

One of them is pressing his hand on the back of his waist and all three in this video, they are awake, they're conscious, and they're using their phones to reach out to others.

Now, again, the brother of one of the wounded Americans, David Zabner says that his brother is "Doing well," but the condition of the other three at this moment is unknown. And there are also no reports of a motive.

Now, the president of Cornell College said that the foreign individuals are in China as part of a partnership with a local university in Beihua University.

And in a statement to CNN, Jonathan Brand says this, let's bring it up for you, the president of Cornell College saying, we have been in contact with all four instructors and are assisting them during this time.

Now, brand says that they were with a Beishan faculty member when the stabbing took place and there were no students taking part in this program.

Now, the U.S. State Department says it is aware of reports of a stabbing incident and it is monitoring the situation.

Now, the stabbing has been trending on Chinese social media this day, with posts occasionally censored and some netizens have been calling it a terrible incident with some saying this, "The current state of public security is not supposed to let such a thing happen."

Another netizen weighing in, saying, "That it will definitely further hinder foreigners from visiting China."

Now, China has low rates of violent crime, violent crime against foreigners, extremely rare, and the stabbing it also comes at a sensitive time geopolitically, you have U.S. and China trying to strengthen People-to-People Exchanges at a time of tension.

In fact, Chinese leader Xi Jinping recently announced plans to invite 50,000 young Americans students to go to China in the next five years.

And although no American students, again, no American students were targeted in this stabbing in Beishan part. This incident could have a chilling effect, it could discourage some young American students from going to China, Lynda.

KINKADE: Kristie Lu Stout, good to have you on the story for us. Thank you.

Well, still to come, the global current climate crisis is having a serious impact on hundreds of families.

Coming up, why they're being forced from their island home forever.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:31:25]

KINKADE: Welcome back. The ongoing drought and Mexico is now the worse the country has seen in more than a decade. That's according to the North American Drought Monitor. The Mexican government says almost 90 percent of the country is facing some form of drought conditions, it is especially bad in the northern state of Chihuahua where thousands of dead fish were found in a lagoon as the water levels got dangerously low.

Residents in a tiny island in Panama have been forced to evacuate their homes permanently. The island is at risk of disappearing due to rising sea levels. Hundreds of families are being relocated to government-sponsored homes on the mainland. CNN's Rafael Romo has the report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An island that was once home to a community will soon have no one. Hundreds of families who live on this small island off the coast of Panama have started their new journey, leaving their flooded homeland behind. Alberto Lopez is one of many who called this place home.

ALBERTO LOPEZ, GARDI SUGDUB RESIDENT (through translator): We feel sadness because if this island disappears, part of our heart, part of our culture disappears.

ROMO (voice-over): Panamanian authorities say this is the first case of human displacement in Latin America caused by climate change. This week, the Copernicus Climate Change Service said the planet had endured 12 consecutive months of unprecedented heat, causing sea levels to rise.

ATILIO MARTINEZ, GARDI SUGDUB RESIDENT (through translator): In recent decades, global warming has started very strongly. Some sardines, lobsters, and everything we consume are disappearing. Now, they have realized that global warming is one of the factors in the situation, so they have been forced to relocate us.

ROMO (voice-over): The islanders are relocating to newly built homes on the mainland that where, Panama's housing minister says, they won't have to worry about costs.

ROGELIO PAREDES, PANAMA HOUSING MINISTER (through translator): We have invested $12.2 million in this. All the islands have the same problem, so we hope the necessary resources will be set aside to anticipate these problems.

ROMO (voice-over): The United Nation's Population Fund assesses 41 million people in Latin America and the Caribbean who live in coastal areas are threatened by the severe weather brought by the climate emergency.

LOPEZ (through translator): I thought of my grandmother, my grandfather, my aunt who died here. It will never be the same but we have to move forward because life goes on.

ROMO (voice-over): Rafael Romo, CNN

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: We've one cricket-mad country wickets just keep coming. Why this World Cup in Grand Prairie (ph) in U.S. has been painful for Pakistan, or perhaps good for growing the game abroad.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:36:20]

KINKADE: Welcome back. Cricket powerhouse, Pakistan is in danger of crashing out of the Men's 2020 World Cup. It's (ph) come to a six-run defeat against arch rival India on Sunday after a stunning upset by tournament co-host, the USA earlier in the week and of course, it was a game that shocked the cricketing world. Pakistan's World Cup fate now hinges on its match against Canada, just set to kick off in New York later today.

Well, the U.S. is set to face off against India on Wednesday where the world will be watching to see if Team USA can pull off another upset. It could also be a key chance for the sport's ability to catch on with American audiences. The supporters hoping that a Team USA Cinderella story will trigger a rush of interest in the sport.

Justin Geale is the Tournament Director of Major League Cricket. He joins us now from Indiana. Good to see you. JUSTIN GEALE, TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR OF MAJOR LEAGUE CRICKET: Hi, Lynda. How are you?

KINKADE: Good. Good. I mean, when you think about a sport, any sport really that's probably here in the U.S., cricket doesn't even make the top-five, not even the top-ten. Yes, the 2020 tournament is here. The U.S. National Team beat one of the sport's global powers, Pakistan, in this stunning upset in the World Cup. What was your reaction?

GEALE: Yeah, maybe not (inaudible) top-15, although now it is the slogan (ph).

(LAUGH)

It was an incredible day actually at Grand Prairie. It is the culmination of four year's work for us, maybe a lot more years for others. Yeah. I think we have an incredible belief in the team and we still do. And the way they won I think was the most pleasing thing. They controlled the game from start to finish and it is like they belonged there. And that is (inaudible) we have. So yeah, really exciting for all of us, the team, and everyone who is involved in cricket in the USA

KINKADE: Where you shocked?

GEALE: Look, I believed -- I thought we could do it. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little shocked, so yeah (ph).

(LAUGH)

KINKADE: I mean cricket, of course, was introduced by Britain to its colonies, including Australia, (inaudible) New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and America and in Australia, you probably also grew up playing backyard cricket, like I did with the neighbors after school and on the weekends. But it never really became a national sport here, despite that there is interest in the games, right? Like the ticket prices are quite remarkable, $205, the average price, but I was just looking at the prices for this upcoming U.S. game, $300 to 1,700 for the USA-India game.

Talk to us about the appetite for cricket here.

GEALE: Yeah, it is bigger than you think actually. I mean, there is a huge fan base here in the country, probably it is a more nontraditional market. I suppose it is first, second-generation Asian, strong (ph) India and Pakistan contingent. And there's Australians, there's Indians, it is a real melting pot of fans, so there is more people playing cricket than you think, but it is certainly not a mainstream sport by any stretch now.

KINKADE: And of course, on the global stage, after European football, cricket is the second most popular sport in the world. So Justin, if the USA. does well in the World Cup on home soil, what will that mean for the sport here?

GEALE: Yeah, look, I think it is huge. It is the second-largest sport in the world, as you say. America is the largest sporting media market in the world and the most sophisticated one. If we can combine the two, I think anything is possible. We've been working to this for a while now. The challenge we have is, where do you play? We need a big circle. We need a special bit of clay in the middle, so it is not easy. It takes time and money, so we've just finished our first stadium in Grand Prairie, which is where the boys won the other day. So, the more of stadiums we get, the more we got places to play, I think the quicker we can grow.

[02:40:00]

GEALE: Introducing Americans to the sport, when they come, they love it. It is high-scoring, something happens in every ball, and they are really curious about the game.

KINKADE: Yeah. Now, as you said, I think we might have some images of that stadium. That was a baseball stadium, converted to a cricket ground in Dallas. Do you expect to see more baseball stadiums converted to cricket grounds?

GEALE: I'd like to think so. It is a challenge, obviously, we are taking a diamond and we are putting a 40-meter running track in the middle, if you will. So, you need a specific bit of baseball ground where you can knock out behind a home run play, (inaudible). So, I think so. We've looked across the country far and wide. We've identified a few. I think ideal capacity is probably 7,000 to 10,000 and we'd like to have three to five of these within the next -- sorry, six of these within the next three to five years. So, we've got pretty ambitious plans and we think we can get there.

KINKADE: Wow. So, do you have that level of investment and support right now to get there in the next three to five years, or is it a matter of the U.S. doing really, really well in this coming -- in this tournament?

GEALE: I think the U.S. doing well really helps, and maybe that accelerates it, because I think all of a sudden we are on mainstream media. I got an ESPN push alert the other day and nearly fell off my chair.

(LAUGH)

So, this is the sort of exposure you crave for as a sport. And I think the guys have got a really good chance of going through to the next round if they beat Ireland on Friday. They are playing India on Wednesday as well. So, who knows? That would be a massive Cinderella story. I think though the conversion of the baseball stadium in Grand Prairie, it has taken about $21 million and a couple of years, so it is not cheap. We certainly think we are here for the long term in Major League Cricket and the sport. We've got some of the world's best players that come and play here regularly now. And I think the national team doing well, it really does open up to this (ph) new audience quicker, which is a challenge.

KINKADE: Yeah, it is exciting. And I guess, you are also cheering for the Aussies, right? GEALE: (Inaudible), not to.

(LAUGH)

But I feel I've been in the country for years now, I am really invested this emotionally with the players and they've all got an amazing story, they really do from different backgrounds. A lot of them were born here, some have come here when they were young, some of the parents were (ph) Americans, so it is a real mixed story, but they've all come to America, the land of opportunity for another shot. So, yeah, it really is a great bunch you guys to be around. But yeah, if Australia -- USA-Australia final, what a (ph) result.

(LAUGH)

KINKADE: That would be amazing. We'll get you back on. Justin Geale, thanks so much.

GEALE: Thank you. It's been lovely speaking with you.

KINKADE: Well, that does it for this program. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Thanks so much for joining me. "World Sport" is coming up next. And then, I will be back in 15 minutes with more of "CNN Newsroom."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:45:00]

(WORLD SPORT)

[03:00:00]