Cricket in USA

[Stewie]

We had a fairly active debate on the forum on Aamer Sohail's ill-timed statement after our victory against England.
While most of were bashing him, only some of us understood the underlying point Sohail was trying to make or allegedly trying to make. I know some of you guys have already dismissed it as a conspiracy theory and it might well be a conspiracy theory but once again I read something on cricinfo and wanted to point this out to all PPers.

There is this visible prioritization from ICC evident from such news pieces, and actions of the various committees. They want to globalize the game but they don't take any steps to promote it or encourage it. They reduce the number of teams in the World Cup, they refuse to force the issue of giving young cricket nations more games against top teams, they have done nothing to help Zimbabwe and Kenya and yet you see them focus so much on trying to establish cricket in countries who have a strong "anti-cricketing" history. USA is probably at the top of that ladder.

The sports market in the US is completely saturated with strong focus on football, basketball and baseball and then ice hockey, select areas and even soccer took years to get to where it is now and yet it is not st the same level as other international power houses.

The only hope for cricket here is expats from cricket playing countries such as myself and I have played against some of the top players representing USA and I have witnessed first hand the following cricket has in the country.

It is ridiculous to even suggest USA will get to a level close to even Afghanistan within the next 15-20 years unless some extra ordinary talented players from other nations emigrate here and join the national team. Even if that happens, it doesn't mean cricket has a solid structure or foundation where they can consistently churn out quality cricketers regularly.

My point is: ICC is looking at this as a purely business perspective, USA is a long term investment. Even if they focus on developing the expat game, there is money there.

While they are busy focusing on this, it is appalling that some nations with cricket rich histories and traditions are currently struggling. Pakistan, West Indies, zimbabwe, Kenya all have their own challenges which ICC shows long title to no interest in helping resolve.

There has been no international tours of Pakistan for almost ten years now. Pakistan is a massive contributor to the sport not only in its history but also its development and shaping the way it is at the moment. It is, in my opinion, a huge injustice that the cricketing world is trying to ignore the biggest elephant in the room and concentrating all its energies on revenue. I would suggest that you keep a close eye on this and you will see an unusual keen interest from ICC in USA cricket. It is confounding to those who know the reality of cricket here. Why is the governing sports body so adamant?

Making profits is not a bad thing but at what cost?

 

[Muhammad10]

Shameless but not at all surprising. ICC is all about the dough and way too narrow-minded to truly care about spreading the game globally.

 

[Itachi]

Something looks good only in books.

ICC IS A BUSINESS. and it MUST be for its survival.

 

[basitmian]

I completely disagree with the OP that USA is long term investment. The cricket infrastructure even though self managed by local expat residents is way better than many associates and or afghistan. There is proper divisional league cricket in almost every state. Many Ranji, Sheffield and English county players are found playing. There are tons of youth initiatives and tournament happening across states. On average a player spends above $700/800 out of his pocket yearly to play cricket. I play for US Zalmi in a tiny state of Minnesota with Pakistani, Indian and Afghani players. We are sponsored by local businesses in MN.
So yes, if USA cricket can managed properly there is a lot of potential here. The expats are crazy about cricket here and are willing dish out $$ to watch and play cricket.

 

[Khwaja]

USA? No way!

 

[msb314]

USA is too traditional in its sporting culture and has far too many other sports to become a powerhouse in cricket.

Just don't see it happening...

 

[Abdullah719]

USA CRICKET LAUNCH BRAND ON HISTORIC DAY

On an historic day for the sport, cricket in the United States took a step closer towards the creation of a new federation with the launch of the USA Cricket brand, unveiled on the 173rd anniversary of the first ever international sporting event – a cricket match between the USA and Canada which is now known as the Auty Cup.

The brand and the new USA Cricket social media platforms, which have also been launched today, represent a new chapter for the sport in the USA. It is the first step towards getting a new Governing Body up and running, until which time the sport will continue to be delivered by the ICC Americas USA Project team and the Local Advisory Groups.

The creation of a membership database that will facilitate a transparent election process will now follow with the focus on creating a federation that can represent and unify the whole cricket community in the USA. A new Board is expected to be in place by April 2018.

A collaborative approach to developing the new marks was coordinated by U.S. based creative agency, Adrenalin, which won a competitive pitch process and has shaped the brands of many major league sport franchises and national federations within the USA. The brand represents unity and the platforms will be the place to go for USA Cricket content.

ICC Americas USA Project Manager Eric Parthen said: “It is a very exciting day for cricket in the United States as we celebrate the past and look to the future. It is a fresh start and we are hugely encouraged by what we have been hearing from the cricket community. The conversations and progress we have made are on track to unifying as one body for cricket in the USA.

“The launch of the USA Cricket brand and the social media platforms are the first step in achieving our goal and we have produced an exciting look and feel for the federation.”

Speaking on behalf of the creative development, Dan Price, President of Adrenalin, said: “The launch of USA Cricket is the first step to introducing the sport of cricket to millions of new fans as well as providing structure and guidance to participants, old and new, across the country. We are thrilled with the new mark and look forward to the impact USA Cricket will have on the sport worldwide.”

 

[maxamax]

USA is too traditional in its sporting culture and has far too many other sports to become a powerhouse in cricket.

Just don't see it happening...

Anything can happen if you try hard enough.

 

[Abdullah719]

Approved constitution marks historic landmark for cricket in USA

A new national governing body for cricket in the USA took a step closer to fruition today with the formal approval of a new constitution for the sport – paving the way for historic elections in 2018. The Sustainable Foundation Advisory Group (SFAG), set up to unify the cricket community in the USA, has given the green light to a constitution that will see the election of a new Board, including three independent directors, of which one must be Chair.

USA Cricket has been established as an entity and the approval of the constitution, registered under Colorado State Law, provides the process under which the office bearers of the governing body can be elected and operate. USA Cricket will now focus on finalising a membership program reflective of the whole sport across the country, which will in turn be able to vote on the seven of the ten Board members. The details of the program will be announced shortly, with an opportunity to register for Membership in early 2018.

The ICC Americas Project USA team has undertaken a significant community consultation program over the last few months in which the constitution received only minor adjustments to that which the Sustainable Foundation Advisory Group had originally recommended. Any such changes are minor and are based either on feedback from the community consultations or as necessitated by Colorado State Law, where USA Cricket is based. These changes include:

• Clarification on the residency requirements to vote and/or nominate for election
• Clarification that prospective directors cannot stand for more than one position in a given election process
• A strengthening of the requisite percentage of membership (from 33% to 67%) required to propose a change to the Constitution

The Constitution has been released to the public and is available on the USA Cricket Website. Highlights of the new constitution, include:

• New individual membership structure that allows USA Cricket to engage, communicate with and support the entire cricket community directly, including players, coaches, match officials, fans and administrators.
• Supplemented by organisational membership that continues league engagement and involvement but also provides the opportunity for membership of USA Cricket by all of the individual clubs across the USA.
• The country will be divided into three Conferences further split into six geographic ‘Zones’(East, Mid-Atlantic, South, South-West, West, Midwest) with programs and services including unified and structured competitions, high performance camps and coach / umpire education being delivered in each Zone.
• New Board composition that is diverse, inclusive, engages and is representative of the entire cricket community, complies with the requirements of the US Olympic Committee, and establishes a focus on independence. It will be made up of the following ten directors;

o Two Player Directors: one female and one male - elected by the International Players who have represented the U.S. senior team in any event recognised or sanctioned by the ICC in the last ten years. This ensures the Board has female and male representation from those who have played the game at an elite level.

o Three Independent Directors: at least one of whom must be female. They must be completely independent from any cricket governance or administration for at least the last three years. This ensures a balance of constituent and non-constituent Directors, reduces the risk of divisive politics within the Board and enables USA Cricket to recruit skill sets and experiences that would not otherwise be represented on the Board.

o Three Individual Directors: who will be elected by the entire Individual Membership (other than the International Players), thereby introducing the prospect of every Individual Member across the country having the right to directly influence who should represent them on the Board.

o One Club Director: who will be elected by all registered and eligible clubs, thereby introducing the prospect of every club across the country having the right to directly influence who should represent them on the Board.

o One League Director: who will be elected by all registered and eligible leagues, thereby acknowledging the continuing need and importance of the Leagues as vital stakeholders in the structure moving forward, which is emphasised by the creation of a new Leagues Committee (reporting directly to the Board) which will contain representatives of the two biggest leagues in each of the six Zones across the country.

• Independent Chair of the Board - for the first three years this post will be elected by the Board from one of the three Independent Directors. This role will play a key part in the unification of the sport and the SFAG felt strongly that independence for the first three years would depoliticise the role and signal a fresh start, the ICC Board unanimously supported this view. It is proposed this restriction is lifted after three years.
• Board Directors will have both term limits and staggered terms to ensure a good mix of fresh perspective and continuity of institutional knowledge.
• The governance model includes a Nominating and Governance Committee who will be responsible for vetting all Board candidates and recruiting and recommending the three Independent Directors for appointment by the Board.
• There will be an Annual General Meeting where all members of USA Cricket will be invited to participate to both learn about the direction of the organisation and to provide input and feedback to the USA Cricket Board of Directors and staff.
• Engagement in the governance of USA Cricket by a wider group of individuals in the cricket community will be undertaken via five additional Standing Committees including; Cricket, Leagues, Finance and Commercial, Ethics, Grievance and Disciplinary and Audit, each of which would have a significant level of representation by players.

This follows on from the good progress already made with the launch of the USA Cricket brand and social media channels on 24 September and the website on 27 November designed as a focal point for communication to the cricket community in the United States.

Another important development has been the finalisation of a Terms of Reference for the Sustainable Foundation Advisory Group which outlines the body’s role in continuing to guide and support the establishment of a new national governing body in the USA that is capable of unifying all of the stakeholders of USA Cricket. A copy of the Terms of reference is available on the USA Cricket website here.

Patricia Whittaker a member of the Sustainable Foundation Advisory Group said: “This is a significant step forward in establishing a new national governing body and we are delighted to be in a position to approve a constitution that has the backing of the cricket community. It is the result of months of hard work, consultation and a willingness to do the right thing for the sport.”

Jagan Jagannathan, who is also a member of the Advisory Group said: “This is an excellent constitution that reflects the diversity and strength of the USA cricket community. Of course, cricket operates in a dynamic environment and we have built in mechanisms that enable the constitution to evolve with the growth of the game in the USA under the leadership of the future directors and the membership”.

David Richardson, the ICC’s Chief Executive, welcomed the historic development and thanked the Sustainable Foundation Advisory Group for their work. “This is an extremely important development and I would like to thank the Advisory Group for their enormous contribution to the development of this Constitution. They have led a process that has been incredibly thorough and we think they have developed a best practice Constitution that gives the new national governing body in USA the best possible chance of success”.

The approval of the Constitution marks the first important step towards the election of Office Bearers for the new national governing body in the USA. Details of the membership program, and the election process itself – in which registered members will vote – will be released shortly.

 

[Sin Nombre]

USA is too traditional in its sporting culture and has far too many other sports to become a powerhouse in cricket.

Just don't see it happening...

Cricket can become the 7th biggest team sport in the US with one generation of concerted effort.

The 7th biggest team sport in the US is worth more to the ICC than the biggest sport in a lot of traditional nations.

 

[MenInG]

Historic Day as USA Cricket launches the official membership program

In what is a huge step forward in unifying cricket in the United States, USA Cricket today launched the official membership program for the sport within the country, which continues the pathway laid out by the USA Cricket Constitution that was approved in December 2017.

The membership program will be divided into two major categories, Individual and Organizational membership. Individual membership will allow all stakeholders in the cricket community including players, coaches, match officials, administrators, and fans to engage with the new governing body. Organizational membership continues League engagement and involvement in the organization, but also provides the opportunity for individual clubs to join USA Cricket. Organizational membership also includes academies, schools, universities, colleges and other cricketing organizations.

The membership program is the next step in the process to build a world-class U.S. governing body for cricket and will help facilitate a fair and transparent election process that engages the entire U.S. cricket community and unifies the sport moving forward.

Once the election process begins, the new USA Cricket membership will be able to vote on the seven (7) of the ten (10) Board members. The new USA Cricket Board of Directors is expected to be in place by May 2018. In a step by USA Cricket to be as inclusive as possible all membership is free until 30 June, 2018.

A collaborative working approach with the cricket community across the USA was undertaken when designing the membership program. USA Cricket wishes to thank all stakeholders who have contributed over the last year to help achieve a program that has been designed for all within the cricketing community.

Membership in USA Cricket will come with many benefits, that will increase over time, and includes; voting for the Board of Directors, insurance coverage for both individuals and clubs, zonal programs, CricClubs competition management platform access, educational resources, best practice sharing and more.

Patricia Whittaker a member of the Sustainable Foundation Advisory Group said: “This is another significant step forward in making the new national governing body a reality. We are excited to give the cricketing community the opportunity to engage with USA Cricket through the membership program and are certain that the all inclusive and fair approach we are taking will assist the new governing body in achieving the most impact for all involved in cricket in the United States.”

ICC Americas USA Project Manager Eric Parthen said: “Today marks one of the most crucial steps in the process for the establishment of a governing body that will engage everyone involved in the U.S. cricket community. I am hugely enthused by the passion shown by the community in this project and with the launch of the official USA Cricket membership program today, I have no doubt that everybody involved in cricket will look forward to signing up to become involved in the exciting journey ahead.”

 

[MenInG]

In another significant milestone for cricket in the United States and following a unanimous recommendation of the Sustainable Foundation Advisory Group (SFAG), a Nominating and Governance Committee (NGC) was today announced. The four-person committee will be primarily responsible for identifying and recommending three independent directors of the USA Cricket Board.

The committee comprises experts with a diverse range of backgrounds from both within and outside cricket and are universally recognized leaders who collectively bring together significant knowledge and independence to this critically important role.

The members of the Nominating and Governance Committee are:

Amy Perko – CEO, Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics with more than 20 years of leadership experience inside the U.S. sports world

Rohan Chandran – a former Hong Kong U19 captain with 25 years of cricket administration experience and a founding Executive team member of Cricinfo

Keith Aaron – an engineering executive with 30 years of cricket administration experience in New York and a former captain of the Guyanese U19 team

David Richardson – ICC Chief Executive

The three independent directors that the NGC is charged with finding - at least one of whom must be female - should not have held any cricket governance or administration roles for at least the past three years.

This composition will ensure a balance of constituent and non-constituent Directors and will enable USA Cricket to recruit skill sets and backgrounds to complement those of the seven other constituent directors who will be elected by the registered individuals, clubs and leagues in due course.

The NGC will also lead the election process of the inaugural Board of Directors of USA Cricket and will be vetting all candidates for compliance against the criteria set out in the USA Cricket Constitution.

Dr. Vince Adams, a SFAG Member, commented on the appointment of the NGC. “The appointment of ICC Chief Executive, Mr. Richardson represents the ICC’s continued commitment to the growth of cricket in the United States – something the SFAG has been eager to maintain. His experience along with the skills and expertise of Mr. Aaron, Ms. Perko and Mr. Chandran ensure the NGC will play an extremely important role in identifying the right Independent Directors to work alongside the elected Members to take USA Cricket forward for many years to come.”

ICC Chief Executive, David Richardson said: “This is another positive step forward in USA Cricket’s journey under the guidance of the Sustainable Foundation Advisory Group on the pathway set out under the USA Cricket Constitution that was approved in December 2017.”

To be eligible to vote in the initial election that will select the Board, prospective Members must join USA Cricket by 11:59pm ET, 24 April 2018. Initial Membership is free and will come with many benefits that will increase over time, and includes; voting for the Board of Directors, insurance coverage for both individuals and clubs, zonal programs, CricClubs competition management platform access, educational resources, best practice sharing and more.

 

[AssassinatedDevil]

US association goes to court against ICC

KARACHI: The suspended cricket association of the USA (USACA) has approached the US district court, eastern district of New York, by filing a petition against the International Cricket Council, seeking relief in the form of damages for the disparaging remarks made by the world cricket governing body officials about the federation.

The petition claims that the ICC, through its efforts and activities, intended to exercise command and control over the governance of USACA, including making improper efforts to displace and/or otherwise remove USACA’s elected directors and office bearers.

“Such efforts and activities would, if adopted, jeopardize USACA’s 501(c)(3) status as such improper efforts are intended to serve the objectives of the ICC and personal preferences of its representatives,” the petition said.

The USACA had been an associate member of the ICC since 1965. In 2016, the ICC and its Sustainable Foundation Advisory Group (SFAG), independent of USACA’s directors and officers, externally developed a new Constitution for USACA which the ICC then sought to impose on USACA.

Linden Dodson and Gladstone A. Dainty are the plaintiffs of the lawsuit while the ICC and David Richardson, in individual and representative capacity as the chief executive of the ICC, are the defendants.

“The ICC and its representatives, agents and/or employees including its CEO David Richardson have engaged in a repeated pattern of issuing public and private remarks that disparage the members of the Board of Directors of USACA, including plaintiffs”, the lawsuit claims

“The ICC and its representatives, agents and/or employees including its CEO Defendant David Richardson issued false statements claiming that the members of the USACA board have “mismanaged” the federation and are “unfit” to manage it, are “untrustworthy,” and “misused” USACA funds, and that its board members listed ‘fake/ghost leagues,” the lawsuit further said.

“In view of these observations, the USACA petition demands a trial by jury for all issues and also pray for relief.”

“For preliminary and permanent injunctive relief enjoining the ICC from issuing a membership to any organisation within the United States of America”, the petition demanded The lawsuit also claimed damages against defendants in the amount of two million dollars.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1408116

 

[USofA]

Total circus act that never ends.

 

[hadi123]

Quetta-born all-rounder Faisal Taj has became a sensation in United States after performing exceptionally at the franchise cricket league. Although he has become an integral part of USA team, the youngster is keen to represent Pakistan in the future.

“I am keen to represent my country. I have contacted different PSL franchises to play for them and hopefully, I will get the chance to showcase my skills in next edition of PSL, where I might catch the eyes of the Pakistan Cricket Board,” he said, quoted local media.

The all-rounder further said that despite receiving an offer for USA citizenship, owing to his cricket performance he ‘still wants to play for Pakistan’. Taj is optimistic that he won’t ‘disappoint’.

Meanwhile, Pakistan will be facing England for the two Test series, with the first Test match scheduled at the historic Lord’s on May 24.

https://www.brecorder.com/2018/05/1...-us-cricketer-eyes-to-represent-green-shirts/

 

[Abdullah719]

Why The U.S. Is Crucial For Cricket's Future

The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) ambitious goal for cricket to overtake soccer and become the world’s most popular sport looks increasingly fantastical. In the midst of an engrossing FIFA World Cup, the gulf between the sports in worldwide relevance feels particularly stark.

One year from now, cricket’s World Cup in the U.K. will be in its final stages but essentially invisible to a large part of the world. Unlike the ongoing FIFA World Cup, cricket’s showpiece spectacle will be limited to a reduced number of teams and held in an all-too-familiar destination.

For cricket, could playing a marquee global event in the untapped potential gold mine of the U.S. provide it with a much-needed tonic? It’s a tantalizing question that has been the subject of intrigue for some time with ICC chief executive Dave Richardson stating in 2015 that the U.S. has “enormous potential.” However, the sport continues to feel somewhat like a quaint British relic that is fortunately fervently followed in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh – which account for more than a quarter of the world’s population.

"We saw football grow markedly in the U.S. after the World Cup was held there in 1994," former president of the ICC Ehsan Mani tells me. “Cricket should look at a World Cup or World T20 being held in the U.S. down the track. It is a sports market worth billions and already has a sizeable cricket presence with it being the fourth biggest TV rights market behind India, Australia and England.

"Football, basketball and rugby are increasing the number of teams at World Cups. Cricket has always been an elitist sport and reducing the number of teams at next year’s World Cup is another example of that.”

There are just 10 teams in the 2019 World Cup – down from 14 in the 2015 edition – meaning emerging nations have been cut out and it will be played in the U.K. for the fifth time from 12 World Cups, a type of monopoly that doesn’t exist in other major sports.

Cricket has long been dominated by the so-called "big three" power nations of India, England and Australia highlighted in 2014 with the countries granted more executive powers and a greater share of revenue from the ICC’s tournaments in a controversial takeover.

After much contention and an ICC makeover, cricket’s governing body agreed to scale back those powers, but undoubtedly the "big three" still dominate the sport testament to its major men’s events being held in those countries until 2023.

Following next year’s World Cup, the 2020 World T20 will be held in Australia, while India will stage the 2021 World T20 and 2023 World Cup. The last major tournament not to feature the ‘big three’ was the 2012 World T20 in Sri Lanka and none have been held in a country that was not an ICC full member (the 12 nations granted Test status).

Compare that hegemony with basketball’s World Cup being held in China next year followed a month later by Japan staging the Rugby World Cup. “The ICC needs a vision because the world is changing quickly and there needs to be more effort in promoting the game globally,” Mani says.

Pushing cricket beyond traditional boundaries is perhaps the fillip needed for the sport to genuinely develop globally.For some time, there has been talk about the U.S. hosting a World T20 – essentially the world championship for Twenty20, the shortest format in cricket. An influential proponent is Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland, who has touted New York’s Central Park as being a potential venue during a World T20 in the U.S.

"My personal view is that it would be great at some stage in the next cycle for the ICC to commit to having a world event in the USA,” Sutherland said last year. “Bring big games and big names to the country, it’s one of the biggest commercial markets in the world."

Cracking the competitive U.S. market is undoubtedly difficult but cricket does have a footprint there, particularly through large expat communities from the subcontinent in California, Texas, New York and Florida. Elite cricket has been played in the U.S. this decade, including T20 Internationals and the Caribbean Premier League in Florida while three years ago a slew of legends played exhibition matches in New York, Los Angeles and Houston.

Infrastructure is an obvious issue with baseball – a sport often likened to cricket – fields difficult to convert due to its narrow dimensions. Pushing cricket into the U.S. is also made more complex due to the troubled United States of America Cricket Association being expelled from the ICC last year.

Former USACA chief executive Darren Beazley believes a major cricket event should “absolutely” be held in the U.S. but hopes there would be proper investment in the local game. “The U.S. is too big a market for the ICC to sit on their hands,” Beazley tells me. “Cricket won’t take over from baseball but a World Cup would certainly be a boom for the game in the U.S. and provide an afterglow for cricket across the world. But the broader issue is to ensure cricket continues to develop in the U.S. once the show leaves town.”

With the FIFA World Cup capturing the imagination of fans globally, cementing soccer’s standing as the world’s game, cricket's leaders have undoubtedly much to ponder over the state of their sport.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/trista...-is-crucial-for-crickets-future/#396a0bb4670b

 

[blackanhyellow]

It will be hard to get into the U.S. market. They are already over saturated with sports.

Nascar, American football, Baseball, Basketball, Hockey, Boxing, and now even soccer thanks to the large Mexican American / Immigrant community.

Cricket won't be able to compete with these sports.

But maybe ICC is hoping that even if cricket becomes a fringe sport in the U.S. (i.e. table tennis, curling, lacrosse, etc...) that will still bring in more money than the whole of Afghanistan playing cricket as their number one sport.

 

[MenInG]

The inaugural USA Cricket Board of Directors was finalized today with the announcement of three Independent Directors in a historical landmark for cricket in the United States.

Following a recommendation from the independent Nominating and Governance Committee, the three positions were approved by the seven Constituent Directors. The three Independent Directors have a wealth of knowledge and experience which will bring great value to the USA Cricket Board and are as follows:

Catherine Carlson, Senior Vice President Corporate Partnerships and Premium Activation, Orlando Magic
Paraag Marathe, President of 49ers Enterprises and Executive Vice President of Football Operations, San Francisco 49ers.
Rohan Sajdeh, Senior Partner and Managing Director, Boston Consulting Group
The appointment of the three Independent Directors is the next step in an extensive, thorough and transparent process designed to assemble a Board of Directors that can unite the U.S. cricket community and achieve cricket’s undoubted potential in the world’s most competitive sports market. The first Chair of the Board will be elected at the inaugural Board meeting next month and will be announced shortly thereafter. Attention will now focus on an application by USA Cricket for membership to the ICC.

ICC Chief Executive David Richardson welcomed the latest development as a major milestone not only for cricket in the United States, but also the game globally. “USA Cricket now has a governance structure and a high caliber Board that we believe positions the organization well to achieve its enormous potential. A successful U.S. cricket administration is great for world cricket and we are delighted with the quality of board candidates who have been selected from an incredibly impressive field and we think the global game will benefit from their expertise.”

Catherine Carlson who will serve a three-year term is a sponsorship sales, strategic partnerships and business development expert. Prior to her work with the Orlando Magic NBA team, Ms. Carlson spent over 10 years at Disney’s Wide World of Sports which included modified junior sports programs and sports tourism initiatives.

“Having grown up with cricket as a child in Australia, I strongly believe cricket is a game that the United States will increasingly grow to love. Data from the ICC’s recent global research indicates that there is already a significant base of cricket fans in the United States. However, sustainable growth and development of cricket here requires revenue from a diverse inventory of commercial platforms and I am looking forward to applying my knowledge and experience in this area as a member of the USA Cricket Board,” said Carlson.

Paraag Marathe, who has spent 18 seasons with the 49ers as the club’s chief contract negotiator and salary cap architect, and oversaw the construction of the Levi’s Stadium, will serve a two-year term.

“I am looking forward to this unique and exciting challenge. I believe the United States has the potential to be a major player in international cricket and we can inspire this country to fall in love with this great game. This is an incredibly talented and passionate Board of Directors and I am looking forward to working with them so that this major international sport can achieve its potential here in the United States,” said Marathe.

Rohan Sajdeh, who is a Corporate and Business Strategy specialist bringing extensive U.S. sport experience including from cricket, motorsports, football and golf, will be serving a one-year term.

“I am fortunate to have led strategic projects across the full sporting ecosystem in the U.S. and internationally in my time at the Boston Consulting Group, including impactful work in cricket related to the Indian Premier League and the recently announced ICC Test Championship. I am incredibly excited to have an opportunity to bring my experience to bear on the challenge of establishing cricket as a major sport here in the United States,” said Sajdeh.

The three independent directors join the seven elected representatives of the Board who are listed below:

Avinash Gaje – Individual Director

Venu Pisike – Individual Director

Suraj Viswanathan – Individual Director

Nadia T. Gruny – Female Player

Usman Shuja – Male Player

Ajith Bhaskar – Club Director

Atul Rai – League Director

 

[zn426]

As a born and raised U.S. citizen of Pakistani parents I love watching cricket here, but it's beyond me why ICC is so hard core on pushing cricket in the US market where most of the growth is expat-based. I get it, there's money to be had, but China makes way more sense as a cricketing market. You've already got a history in Hong Kong for cricket, plus Pakistan, China, and Sri Lanka are all tied together (mostly due to high debt loads owed to China, but also with other programming). It would also wean the ICC dependency on India for a high share of the cricketing revenues.

 

[Varun]

The average American won't understand a thing about test cricket.

Leave them be with their plastic 'sports'.

 

[MenInG]

Dubai, 8 January 2019

ICC Media Release : USA CRICKET ANNOUNCED AS THE ICC’S 105TH MEMBER

The International Cricket Council (ICC) today welcomed USA Cricket as its 105th Member, in what is a historical milestone for the governing body established in 2017 to unify and develop the cricket community in the United States following the expulsion of USACA.

USA Cricket’s application to become the 93rd Associate Member in accordance with the ICC Constitution was approved by ICC Members following the Membership Committee’s recommendation to the ICC Board late last year and is implemented with immediate effect.

As a Member of the ICC, USA Cricket is now eligible to receive funding in accordance with the ICC Development Funding Policy and can sanction domestic and international cricket in the United States.

A transition plan has been agreed for the governing body, which has, to date, been managed by the ICC Americas regional support programme. This will see all governing body obligations transferred to USA Cricket under the auspices of the USA Cricket Board of Directors this month. The recruitment of a Chief Executive and key management roles will begin in due course as the immediate priorities of the new Member.

ICC Chief Executive, David Richardson said: "This is the culmination of a great deal of hard work and I would like to congratulate the Chair of USA Cricket, Paraag Marathe, and the Board, on this important milestone and wish them all the very best for the future.

USA Cricket Board Chair, Paraag Marathe said: "USA Cricket was established to bring together the cricket community in the United States, develop the game and unlock the sport’s undoubted potential for growth. Today’s confirmation that it is the ICC’s newest Member is a significant staging post on that journey.

“As David mentioned, this recognition is not just the work of our Board but is a result of thousands of volunteer hours over the last 18 months and USA Cricket appreciates the time, effort and sacrifice of all those involved.

“On behalf of our Board of Directors and the entire U.S. cricket community, I also want to thank the ICC and the other 104-member countries for your faith in us to deliver on the nearly limitless potential for cricket in the United States. We do not take this responsibility lightly and pledge to lead this great game with the integrity, passion and tireless work ethic that is a foundation for global cricket.”

 

[Savak]

Does this mean USA has been given ODI and Test status?

 

[Abdullah719]

Does this mean USA has been given ODI and Test status?

Nope.

 

[giri26]

Second cricket pitch considered for Toledo park

Toledoan Shaukat Rashid has watched over the past several years as cricket, a popular sport in his native Pakistan, has gained traction in the U.S.

That growing interest, as well as his personal love for the bat and ball sport, is why Dr. Rashid is overjoyed Toledo councilmen are considering adding a second cricket pitch — or field — to their public park offerings.

There has been one place to play cricket in Toledo since the late 1990s, a pitch at the Beatty Park off Central Avenue. Council on Tuesday will vote on whether to construct and install a new cricket pitch at Winterfield Park in South Toledo.

“There has been significant growth in terms of the community and diversity and immigrants,” said Dr. Rashid, who immigrated to the U.S. in 1993 and moved to Toledo in 2005 to practice medicine. “This will kind of promote the sport but also get the community involved more in terms of what we’re doing.”

Dr. Rashid is a member of the Greater Toledo Cricket Club, affectionately known as Cricket_Boyz Toledo. He said there are about half a dozen cricket leagues around Toledo, including the University of Toledo’s club, and teams from Michigan and Indiana come to Toledo to compete as well.

His club has pledged to split the $18,750 cost of excavating, construction, and installing the new field. He is hopeful that the new field can be fully up and running for next summer’s season, and he is looking forward to hosting mini-camps for adults and kids who want to learn more about the sport.

“It was not really very much used, Winterfield Park, and I think it will bring more positive activities to this area,” Dr. Rashid said. “We want to do an open house and then put camps there.”

Councilman Tyrone Riley said he supports the proposal in part because it will give the youth who live near Winterfield Park exposure to the sport and perhaps something new to get involved in.

“A lot of residents are not familiar with the sport except for when they see it on TV being played,” Mr. Riley said. “In this particular instance they’ll get an opportunity to see it first-hand and also be able to participate by maybe joining one of the clubs or organizations.”

He added that he would like to see other growing sports played at city-owned parks soon. He envisions lacrosse fields at Sleepy Hollow Park or Savage Park.

Councilman Rob Ludeman seconded his colleague’s thoughts. He said he would love to see lacrosse fields installed and also urged parks officials to consider adding more baseball and softball diamonds at parks throughout the city.

Karen Ranney Wolkins, commissioner of parks, recreation, and forestry, said she is open to offering more recreational activities at the public parks if there’s a demand for it.

She added that crews will be able to spruce up the Beatty Park cricket pitch once the work at Winterfield Park is complete, which means hopefully by next summer leagues will have more options for practice, camps, or competitions at the city’s parks.

Dr. Rashid said sports bring people together and he is hopeful a growing interest in cricket could encourage Toledoans to embrace their diverse community.

“Locals and immigrants can all interact in the sport,” he said. “Putting it out to the community and getting the kids involved... to me, it’s important to connect. This may be one avenue to connect.”

https://www.toledoblade.com/local/c...o-toledo-winterfield-park/stories/20190512032

 

[silentkiller187]

ICC cant rely on the BCCI to bank roll them forever. They need to find a new revenue stream fast.

 

[Abdullah719]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">&#55357;&#56845; Stunning footage of the AirHogs Stadium in Grand Prairie, Texas that will now be repurposed to become a dedicated world-class cricketing facility.&#55357;&#56845; <br><br>FULL DETALS: <a href="https://t.co/jIwLJ1fff0">https://t.co/jIwLJ1fff0</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MajorLeagueCricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MajorLeagueCricket</a>&#55356;&#57295; <a href="https://t.co/f3PynNPAZU">pic.twitter.com/f3PynNPAZU</a></p>— USA Cricket (@usacricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/usacricket/status/1329076969183481857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[ahmadharis1]

Toledoan Shaukat Rashid has watched over the past several years as cricket, a popular sport in his native Pakistan, has gained traction in the U.S.

That growing interest, as well as his personal love for the bat and ball sport, is why Dr. Rashid is overjoyed Toledo councilmen are considering adding a second cricket pitch — or field — to their public park offerings.

There has been one place to play cricket in Toledo since the late 1990s, a pitch at the Beatty Park off Central Avenue. Council on Tuesday will vote on whether to construct and install a new cricket pitch at Winterfield Park in South Toledo.

“There has been significant growth in terms of the community and diversity and immigrants,” said Dr. Rashid, who immigrated to the U.S. in 1993 and moved to Toledo in 2005 to practice medicine. “This will kind of promote the sport but also get the community involved more in terms of what we’re doing.”

Dr. Rashid is a member of the Greater Toledo Cricket Club, affectionately known as Cricket_Boyz Toledo. He said there are about half a dozen cricket leagues around Toledo, including the University of Toledo’s club, and teams from Michigan and Indiana come to Toledo to compete as well.

His club has pledged to split the $18,750 cost of excavating, construction, and installing the new field. He is hopeful that the new field can be fully up and running for next summer’s season, and he is looking forward to hosting mini-camps for adults and kids who want to learn more about the sport.

“It was not really very much used, Winterfield Park, and I think it will bring more positive activities to this area,” Dr. Rashid said. “We want to do an open house and then put camps there.”

Councilman Tyrone Riley said he supports the proposal in part because it will give the youth who live near Winterfield Park exposure to the sport and perhaps something new to get involved in.

“A lot of residents are not familiar with the sport except for when they see it on TV being played,” Mr. Riley said. “In this particular instance they’ll get an opportunity to see it first-hand and also be able to participate by maybe joining one of the clubs or organizations.”

He added that he would like to see other growing sports played at city-owned parks soon. He envisions lacrosse fields at Sleepy Hollow Park or Savage Park.

Councilman Rob Ludeman seconded his colleague’s thoughts. He said he would love to see lacrosse fields installed and also urged parks officials to consider adding more baseball and softball diamonds at parks throughout the city.

Karen Ranney Wolkins, commissioner of parks, recreation, and forestry, said she is open to offering more recreational activities at the public parks if there’s a demand for it.

She added that crews will be able to spruce up the Beatty Park cricket pitch once the work at Winterfield Park is complete, which means hopefully by next summer leagues will have more options for practice, camps, or competitions at the city’s parks.

Dr. Rashid said sports bring people together and he is hopeful a growing interest in cricket could encourage Toledoans to embrace their diverse community.

“Locals and immigrants can all interact in the sport,” he said. “Putting it out to the community and getting the kids involved... to me, it’s important to connect. This may be one avenue to connect.”

https://www.toledoblade.com/local/c...o-toledo-winterfield-park/stories/20190512032

I live in Toledo! I've played in this ground countless of times and even faced Mohammad Asif in a club match here. The Toledo cricket scene is surprisingly strong

 

[Saj]

GRAND PRAIRIE, TX – Major League Cricket (MLC) has received approval from the City of Grand Prairie on a long-term lease agreement to begin an extensive redevelopment of AirHogs Stadium as the organization’s first major cricket stadium in the United States. The parent company of MLC, American Cricket Enterprises (ACE) -- in cooperation with USA Cricket, the national governing body for cricket in the United States -- has retained the internationally renowned design firm HKS to repurpose and design what will be a world-class stadium for cricket in the United States.

One of the best sports performance facilities in minor league baseball during its previous life as the home of the Texas AirHogs, the soon-to-be renamed stadium will now become a dedicated world-class cricketing facility. The redevelopment of the venue is scheduled to take place throughout 2021 before playing host to the Texas MLC franchise that is planned to launch in 2022, as well as a base for the USA Cricket National team and a premier High Performance Center.

“As the first Major League Cricket stadium in the United States, Grand Prairie represents a seminal moment for the sport in America, and we are incredibly excited to partner with the City of Grand Prairie to bring Major League Cricket to Dallas,” said Sameer Mehta and Vijay Srinivasan, co-founders of ACE and MLC. “Grand Prairie’s centralized location in the U.S. and the thriving Texas cricketing community, allied with the quality of the facility, made it the perfect site for us and we are certain that this is the beginning of a fruitful long-term partnership with the City that will bring much success.”

The City of Grand Prairie is an ideal location for a premier cricket stadium in Texas, with its strong cricket fan base and demographics in surrounding areas, favorable time zone for broadcast in major international cricket markets, and Dallas-Fort Worth’s pedigree for major sports teams and stadiums. The new cricket stadium will see the existing baseball diamond converted to an international size and quality cricket field capable of hosting major international competitions, a number of training nets and batting lanes added, as well as two additional outside turf fields that will be used for training and by the affiliated MLC academies. Upon completion, it will be the most extensive fully-dedicated cricket facility in the United States.

The venue will also be a centerpiece of USA Cricket’s efforts to bring major international events to the United States, including regional International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup and T20 World Cup Qualifiers for Men and Women, Cricket World Cup League 2 series, and International Series against local rivals Canada and the West Indies, as well as other contemporary nations. The stadium will also be a featured aspect of USA Cricket’s efforts to bring the ICC T20 World Cup and other major events to the United States by 2031, in a process that is ongoing as part of a joint bid with Cricket West Indies.

“We are very excited about this opportunity to bring cricket to Texas by converting our minor league baseball stadium,” said Grand Prairie Mayor Ron Jensen. “Cricket is the second most popular sport in the world behind soccer, with a large and growing audience in the states. We look forward to an exciting future with our partners.”

The redeveloped stadium is slated to be ready for cricket in Spring 2022, but will serve as a key High Performance center for the USA Cricket Men’s and Women’s National Teams and other key youth and zonal cricket squads during the interim. The Men’s National Team is currently ranked 19th in the world, having gained One Day International status for the first time in 2019. The USA Women’s National Team will be attempting to qualify for the ICC Women’s World Cup for the first time next year, having advanced to the global qualifier in 2019.

“In association with our partners at ACE, we now have a world-class facility to develop our domestic talent and help us fulfill the goals we announced in our Foundational Plan,” said Paraag Marathe, USA Cricket Chairman. “The successful development of a cricket-dedicated stadium has long been a priority for us, and it is a significant stride forward for the growth of cricket in America. We also look forward to bringing international cricket events, and the crowds that go with them, to our new stadium, and to help introduce the sport to a broader audience.”

USA Cricket has recently undergone a significant transformation that includes the release of the organization’s first Foundational Plan with a vision to establish cricket as a leading sport in the USA and become a full member of the International Cricket Council by 2030. Cricket is the world’s second-most popular sport in terms of global viewership, attracting billions of viewers worldwide with a significant, growing American fanbase. USA Cricket counts more than 150,000 regular players across the country, with roughly 20 million fans and more than 4 million regular viewers of cricket.

Honored by Ballpark Digest as the Best New Ballpark in 2008 following its inaugural season, AirHogs Stadium served as the home of the Texas AirHogs of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball for 12 years. The stadium, located conveniently between Arlington and Dallas, is adjacent to Lone Star Park horse racing track and The Theater at Grand Prairie, currently seats a capacity of 5,445 and features 13 luxury suites and ample space for improved amenities to enhance the experience of fans and cricketers alike. The stadium will be repurposed to be completely dedicated for cricket, with an increase in the seating capacity planned to accommodate more than 8,000 spectators with additional and upgraded hospitality features.

Along with the changing demographics of the Dallas region that have made the area a prime location for the grassroots development of cricket, the sport has seen recent progress domestically at the professional level. Following a player draft in August this year, Minor League Cricket (MiLC) successfully staged a series of exhibition matches over five weeks, the largest national cricket competition in U.S. history. The best amateur cricketers in the U.S. combined with 36 first-class and international players to play 51 competitive and entertaining T20 matches across 17 venues involving 18 of the 24 MiLC franchises with 312 drafted players competing in at least one match. ACE is preparing to launch its full inaugural MiLC T20 cricket season in May 2021, with MLC expected to start its competition in 2022.

Major League Cricket, which is exclusively sanctioned by USA Cricket, represents the most ambitious and transformational venture ever undertaken in the American cricket landscape. Focused on staging the highest quality T20 cricket for U.S. cricket fans, MLC will feature top international cricketers from around the globe, and provide a stage for domestic cricketers to showcase their talents to a global audience.

As the ICC’s member body for the United States, USA Cricket selected MLC as its exclusive partner for the development of a professional T20 cricket league. As exemplified by this establishment of AirHogs Stadium as a High Performance Training Center for USA Cricket, MLC provides support for both the USA’s Men’s and Women’s teams, with the goal of elevating them to the highest level of international competition.

The founders of MLC have been deeply involved with cricket in the U.S. for years, particularly with the establishment of the U.S. as a major broadcast market for the sport. MLC is co-founded by the founders of Willow TV, the largest cricket broadcaster in North America and the principals of The Times of India Group, India’s largest media conglomerate. MLC is also backed by a prominent and diverse group of investors from across the U.S.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

https://www.sportspromedia.com/anal...r-new-stadiums-la-2028-iain-higgins-interview

They announced their plan today, it’s very ambitious! Very interesting.

- $1 billion in backing from the founders of Willow TV
- Aim to tap a market of estimated 20 million potential fans who are digitally affluent and earn well
- Minor League Cricket, the domestic league, to start from 2021
- Major League Cricket to take place starting 2022, a T20 franchise league aiming to lure top players and compete with BBL, CPL
- Setting up of programs in the school system
- Use of funding to develop stadiums with a focus on Dallas, New York, New Jersey, Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, San Francisco and Los Angeles
- Co-bidding with West Indies to host the T20 World Cup together in 2026 or 2030


There’s also this interesting quote:

“There probably isn’t another country where if you were to say, ‘let’s make that country a full member in ten years’, it has the potential to fundamentally affect the economic dynamics of world cricket. But if we get it right in this country we can definitely do that, and we can help world cricket and all of the other members to move away a little bit from the overreliance that exists in the sport on the Indian broadcast market.”

 

[Thunderbolt14]

Also, they’re going to push for T20 cricket’s inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics!

 

[Colorblind Genius]

We had a fairly active debate on the forum on Aamer Sohail's ill-timed statement after our victory against England.
While most of were bashing him, only some of us understood the underlying point Sohail was trying to make or allegedly trying to make. I know some of you guys have already dismissed it as a conspiracy theory and it might well be a conspiracy theory but once again I read something on cricinfo and wanted to point this out to all PPers.

There is this visible prioritization from ICC evident from such news pieces, and actions of the various committees. They want to globalize the game but they don't take any steps to promote it or encourage it. They reduce the number of teams in the World Cup, they refuse to force the issue of giving young cricket nations more games against top teams, they have done nothing to help Zimbabwe and Kenya and yet you see them focus so much on trying to establish cricket in countries who have a strong "anti-cricketing" history. USA is probably at the top of that ladder.

The sports market in the US is completely saturated with strong focus on football, basketball and baseball and then ice hockey, select areas and even soccer took years to get to where it is now and yet it is not st the same level as other international power houses.

The only hope for cricket here is expats from cricket playing countries such as myself and I have played against some of the top players representing USA and I have witnessed first hand the following cricket has in the country.

It is ridiculous to even suggest USA will get to a level close to even Afghanistan within the next 15-20 years unless some extra ordinary talented players from other nations emigrate here and join the national team. Even if that happens, it doesn't mean cricket has a solid structure or foundation where they can consistently churn out quality cricketers regularly.

My point is: ICC is looking at this as a purely business perspective, USA is a long term investment. Even if they focus on developing the expat game, there is money there.

While they are busy focusing on this, it is appalling that some nations with cricket rich histories and traditions are currently struggling. Pakistan, West Indies, zimbabwe, Kenya all have their own challenges which ICC shows long title to no interest in helping resolve.

There has been no international tours of Pakistan for almost ten years now. Pakistan is a massive contributor to the sport not only in its history but also its development and shaping the way it is at the moment. It is, in my opinion, a huge injustice that the cricketing world is trying to ignore the biggest elephant in the room and concentrating all its energies on revenue. I would suggest that you keep a close eye on this and you will see an unusual keen interest from ICC in USA cricket. It is confounding to those who know the reality of cricket here. Why is the governing sports body so adamant?

Making profits is not a bad thing but at what cost?

Have you read one of my posts that I wrote a few months ago?

You'd be surprised.
I am to a certain degree certain that more cricket is played in USA than in Australia and perhaps even in England.

And I am also somewhat confident that USA is perhaps among the top 3 countries when you look at the cricket merchandize sales by sales and dollar amount.


http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/s...B-learn-from-the-BCCI&p=10631295#post10631295

 

[Colorblind Genius]

Have you read one of my posts that I wrote a few months ago?

You'd be surprised.
I am to a certain degree certain that more *club level domestic* cricket is played in USA than in Australia and perhaps even in England.

And I am also somewhat confident that USA is perhaps among the top 3 countries when you look at the cricket merchandize sales by sales and dollar amount.


http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/s...B-learn-from-the-BCCI&p=10631295#post10631295

Correction

 

[King_Kohli]

https://www.sportspromedia.com/anal...r-new-stadiums-la-2028-iain-higgins-interview

They announced their plan today, it’s very ambitious! Very interesting.

- $1 billion in backing from the founders of Willow TV
- Aim to tap a market of estimated 20 million potential fans who are digitally affluent and earn well
- Minor League Cricket, the domestic league, to start from 2021
- Major League Cricket to take place starting 2022, a T20 franchise league aiming to lure top players and compete with BBL, CPL
- Setting up of programs in the school system
- Use of funding to develop stadiums with a focus on Dallas, New York, New Jersey, Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, San Francisco and Los Angeles
- Co-bidding with West Indies to host the T20 World Cup together in 2026 or 2030

Thanks for sharing

 

[MenInG]

USA all-rounder Nisarg Patel's bowling action has been found illegal for the second time in an independent assessment and he remains suspended from international cricket, the game's governing body (ICC) said on Wednesday.

Left-arm spinner Patel, who has played eight ODIs and four T20Is, was suspended from bowling in February and had undergone reassessment on his action but it was deemed illegal again.

 

[badsha001]

any videos of his bowling action?

 

[MenInG]

American Cricket Enterprises is delighted to announce that the Knight Riders Group, owners of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR), has agreed to a significant long-term investment in the future of American cricket as they become stakeholders in Major League Cricket.


Over the last decade, the Knight Riders Group has become a household name in T20 cricket due to their sustained success on the pitch. The Kolkata Knight Riders are two-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions (2012, 2014) and one of the most popular sports franchises in the world. Following their 2014 IPL Championship, the Knight Riders became owners of the Trinidad & Tobago T20 franchise in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) in 2015. Since then, the Trinbago Knight Riders have gone on to win the CPL Championship four times in the last six seasons, including a record-setting unbeaten championship season in 2020.



This investment by the Knight Riders Group, which is led by Bollywood superstar, Shah Rukh Khan, along with Juhi Chawla & her husband Jay Mehta, is part of a strategic long-term investment in the future of cricket in the United States. In addition to their expertise in franchise cricket, their vast experience in content creation & production has brought the worlds of cricket and entertainment further together.


Mr. Shah Rukh Khan, commenting on the long-term agreement, said, "For several years now, we have been expanding the Knight Riders brand globally and closely watching the potential for T20 cricket in the USA. We are convinced that Major League Cricket has all the pieces in place to execute on its plans and we look forward to making our partnership an enormous success in the coming years.”



Mr. Venky Mysore, the CEO of KKR and Red Chillies Entertainment said, "We feel fortunate to have been consistently recognized as one of the best franchises in T20 cricket and have become one of the fastest growing sports brands in the world. As T20 cricket expands internationally, we are flattered by the regular inbound requests to play a major role in growing the sport abroad. We have had a keen interest in the developments in the United States and our expansion into the U.S. is consistent with our long-term strategy. We look forward to the new challenge of building cricket in the world's most sophisticated sports and media market and we believe that we can bring a huge amount of expertise to help make Major League Cricket realize the potential that it undoubtedly has."

 

[MenInG]

American Cricket Enterprises is delighted to announce that the Knight Riders Group, owners of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR), has agreed to a significant long-term investment in the future of American cricket as they become stakeholders in Major League Cricket.


Over the last decade, the Knight Riders Group has become a household name in T20 cricket due to their sustained success on the pitch. The Kolkata Knight Riders are two-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions (2012, 2014) and one of the most popular sports franchises in the world. Following their 2014 IPL Championship, the Knight Riders became owners of the Trinidad & Tobago T20 franchise in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) in 2015. Since then, the Trinbago Knight Riders have gone on to win the CPL Championship four times in the last six seasons, including a record-setting unbeaten championship season in 2020.



This investment by the Knight Riders Group, which is led by Bollywood superstar, Shah Rukh Khan, along with Juhi Chawla & her husband Jay Mehta, is part of a strategic long-term investment in the future of cricket in the United States. In addition to their expertise in franchise cricket, their vast experience in content creation & production has brought the worlds of cricket and entertainment further together.


Mr. Shah Rukh Khan, commenting on the long-term agreement, said, "For several years now, we have been expanding the Knight Riders brand globally and closely watching the potential for T20 cricket in the USA. We are convinced that Major League Cricket has all the pieces in place to execute on its plans and we look forward to making our partnership an enormous success in the coming years.”



Mr. Venky Mysore, the CEO of KKR and Red Chillies Entertainment said, "We feel fortunate to have been consistently recognized as one of the best franchises in T20 cricket and have become one of the fastest growing sports brands in the world. As T20 cricket expands internationally, we are flattered by the regular inbound requests to play a major role in growing the sport abroad. We have had a keen interest in the developments in the United States and our expansion into the U.S. is consistent with our long-term strategy. We look forward to the new challenge of building cricket in the world's most sophisticated sports and media market and we believe that we can bring a huge amount of expertise to help make Major League Cricket realize the potential that it undoubtedly has."

 

[Suleiman]

US is very entrenched in its own views that are at times far removed from the rest of the planet. Sports is one of those things. At this point in the timeline it’s very difficult for cricket to breakthrough. Even tho I think modern day ODI and t20s would be an instant hit here if given the chance as most think baseball is too boring if there’s not enough home runs hit, so the shorter formats would really get them going with a 6 hit every other ball in this day and age anyway.

It’s all about brawn type sports here. Having to muscle through the opposition type sports.

 

[Colorblind Genius]

US is very entrenched in its own views that are at times far removed from the rest of the planet. Sports is one of those things. At this point in the timeline it’s very difficult for cricket to breakthrough. Even tho I think modern day ODI and t20s would be an instant hit here if given the chance as most think baseball is too boring if there’s not enough home runs hit, so the shorter formats would really get them going with a 6 hit every other ball in this day and age anyway.

It’s all about brawn type sports here. Having to muscle through the opposition type sports.

Take a look at post # 44 here if you haven’t already.

http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/s...B-learn-from-the-BCCI&p=10631295#post10631295

Basketball is somewhat boring I agree but Baseball is an altogether different story.

The very reason baseball is super interesting (once you get the hang of it) is because runs are hard to come by. There is A LOT of uncertainty on the outcome of every pitch (delivery) that keeps a tight grip on the fans.

The entire fun in the baseball is in low scores.
If a team scores A LOT of runs and takes a big lead (say 10 runs), the game, all of a sudden becomes boring, predictable and one sided.

We tried to put a fake excitement factor in T20 by pushing in the boundary line to see more sixes but it didn’t take long for fans to yawn during the rain of sixes. The initial excitement proved to be very short lived.
You can’t scare them with the same alligator every day.

In comparison, baseball rules haven’t been drastically changed in decades but did you notice how the fans react in excitement when a home run is hit?

That’s exactly what’s gonna happen in baseball if there are home runs every three pitches - fans will be bored before you know it.

I think the biggest rival to any sports in America is the American football. People are absolutely crazy about it.

From my link above, I think I agree that we will be hard pressed to interject the cricket bug in the general American public but USA will probably have a pretty decent international team in a decade. This team will be mostly Indian Americans with a couple of Caribbean Americans.

 

[aloo paratha]

Apparently they may be able to rope Corey Anderson as well. Also they've been poaching South African talent. Supposedly their contracts can be around $100,000 dollars, which is great money. Don't know how cricket USA has that much money though.

 

[shah_1]

T20 cricket can be a success in USA because it fits the prime time slot unlike ODI and test cricket.

 

[MenInG]

New Zealand All-Rounder Corey Anderson has retired from International cricket and signed a three-year deal with USA's Major League Cricket (MLC).

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

T20 cricket can be a success in USA because it fits the prime time slot unlike ODI and test cricket.

Unlikely. Their would be too much competition from other sports. Its taken Football decades to increase in popularity, so i highly doubt cricket can ever achive much support in the US.

 

[Saj]

Coming soon, an interview with Ali Khan the pace bowler who went from Attock to Ohio.

 

[moghul]

T20 league with inclusion of some international players, even discarded ones like Sami Aslam and Anderson will be a big success in USA. There are more than enough expats here to make it successful, particularly in large metro areas like NY/NJ, LA, Chicago, Houston , DC, and Tampa/Orlando area.

 

[Slog]

No chance it becomes anywhere a sport which even registers in an average American’s consciousness in our life time.

Stop beating a dead horse.

 

[sindhiboy]

No chance it becomes anywhere a sport which even registers in an average American’s consciousness in our life time.

Stop beating a dead horse.

Yea. It is mainly for subcontinent expats. The crowds will mostly be Indian along with a couple of Britishers and maybe a west Indian

 

[wrongun]

I would think the success of cricket in the USA will rely heavily on tapping into the 5.5 million South Asian expats living, studying, working in the USA.

That's a small number by asian standards but being the USA is a high income country & South Asian immigrants one of the most succesful demographics in the USA, then something can be built. Remembering also that 5.5 million people is LARGER than the population of NZ, or of Ireland, far larger than the combined WI & larger than the white population of SA (who still dominate cricket fandom in SA).

Add to that about another 1 million English, Australian, South Africans combined who also tend to be interested in cricket. (West Indians also, but I don't know the numbers).

So cricket doesn't need to register with most Americans (at least not for a generation or two)- but DOES need to tap into that exiting market who are likely predisposed to paying attention to cricket. There is enough there to get something going.

An Americas T20 League featuring 6 or so USA teams, a Canadian team or 2 & inviting or including West Indian domestic teams could work. West Indians could send their Universities /West Indies A team & other islands on an invitational basis.

The other model would be to work in 2 or 3 USA teams into the existing CPL. Either the best targeted cities or USA + USA All Stars (development + hired guns) or similar.

USA is large & wealthy enough to support a sport purely in a niche market. Especially a sport like cricket where the salaries don't have to be exceptionally high from a world sport standpoint to get decent players to come across for a month/6 week tournament.

 

[MenInG]

Zeeshan Ashraf has announced that he was en route to the United States to take part in the US Open, which is a T20 tournament that will be held in Florida from December 15 to 20.

Zeeshan will be representing the US All Stars in the competition, who also have the services of England pace bowler Liam Plunkett.

Sami Aslam, who recently quit Pakistan cricket and moved permanently to the United States, will also be playing in the tournament as he will be part of the Somerset Cavaliers’ squad. West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell and Pakistan batsman Sohaib Maqsood are also in the side.

Flamboyant West Indies opener Chris Gayle will be representing the Atlanta Param Veers, while former Pakistan pace bowler Mohammad Asif will play for the Punjab Blues.

 

[Hamza awan]

I am hoping that Shahid khan the Pakistani billionare also invests in MLC so we can have some Pakistani representation in MLC too

 

[Colorblind Genius]

I am hoping that Shahid khan the Pakistani billionare also invests in MLC so we can have some Pakistani representation in MLC too

There are already big whales in the game.
And now the changes are, cricket in USA will march forward pretty quick both in quality and quantity.

https://www.msn.com/en-in/sports/ot...-likely-to-join-us-cricket-league/ar-BB1bFuFE

 

[moghul]

Wow , great news, one after another.

 

[watson367]

It is quite popular among the immigrants in NJ/NY area, Cali, and Texas. I think its nonexistent everywhere else

 

[MenInG]

The Men’s and Women’s National Team Captains have spoken of their joy at the scheduled return of international cricket in 2021, with USA Cricket also delighted as the International Cricket Council (ICC) has awarded the hosting of both the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Americas Qualifier and the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Americas Qualifier in 2021 to the United States.

There have been five significant announcements from the ICC over the course of the last week with the headline details and further links as follows;

USA will host an expanded four team ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Americas Qualifier in September 2021 with one team qualifying from Argentina, Brazil, Canada and Team USA for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier to be held in 2022. Full details here.

The complete schedule for ICC Women’s World Cup 2022 has been announced, with three places up for grabs still from the ICC qualifying tournament which is confirmed to take place 26 June – 10 July 2021 in Sri Lanka, that Team USA will be playing in. Full details here.

USA will play host to the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Americas Qualifier, as four countries – Argentina, Bermuda, Canada, USA – will battle it out to take the one qualification spot from the Americas. Full details here.

USA Men’s National Team will need to get through a two-step process in their bid to qualify for the Men’s T20 World Cup for the first time with the journey starting with an 8 team Qualifier in Canada in July 2021. If USA can finish in the top 2 places there, they will progress to either the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier ‘A’ or ‘B’, which will both have 2 places at Australia 2022 up for grabs. Full details here.

USA Men’s National Team will return to international cricket after more than a 12 month break in play due to the COVID-19 pandemic with the amended schedule for the ICC Cricket World Cup League now confirmed. Full details here.

USA Cricket Chief Executive, Iain Higgins, said, “It is a major development to have been awarded the hosting of two of the three Regional ICC Qualifying Events in 2021 and reflects a strong endorsement of the progress we have been making despite a very challenging 12 months. Hosting these events aligns extremely well with the strategic objectives in our Foundational Plan to have a focus on Women and Girls Cricket, as well as Youth Cricket and to bring events to American soil. We look forward to welcoming our neighbouring countries from across the Americas and we are excited about the prospect of some competitive cricket in both of these events. The Talent IDs and Zonal Trials that we were able to stage this year have unearthed some fantastic new talent, and the coaching and selection appointments and other supporting structures that we are putting in place, gives us great confidence that we will be able to put on strong performances. This also gives us an opportunity to showcase international cricket around the country and, we will have more details on the prospective hosting venues in due course.”

Higgins continued, “Alongside the news of hosting these two events, there have been critical announcements for the Men’s National Team - with the pathway confirmed for the Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia 2022 and the amended schedule for ICC Cricket World Cup League on the Road to India 2023. And the Women’s National Team has another crucial tournament to set their sights on, with the rescheduled Women’s ODI World Cup Qualifier in Sri Lanka becoming a key focus for their year.

I’d like to thank all of the players and coaching staff for their continuing efforts and patience behind the scenes during a very frustrating period for international cricket. There are more announcements to come as we develop the full international and domestic playing calendar for 2021, but this set of announcements provides great encouragement and focus for everybody associated with Team USA.”

Team USA Women’s Captain, Sindhu Sriharsha said, “It’s been a year unlike any other, but we have been doing a huge amount together, just virtually, with our Team’s training moving entirely online. We are so happy to have confirmed fixtures on the horizon now, with the Americas Qualifier for the T20 World Cup being preceded by the 50 Over Women's World Cup Global Qualifier in Sri Lanka. We are looking forward to both events, the challenge we face in Sri Lanka first up in June before hosting in the T20 format at home in September. We will absolutely not be underestimating the newcomers Brazil or Argentina, nor old rivals Canada, but we will be targeting a first-place finish and a chance for another opportunity at another global qualifier.”

Team USA Men’s Captain, Saurabh Netravalkar said, “There is no doubt it has been an incredibly challenging year for everyone in the wider American cricketing community. The news this week of the return of international cricket in 2021 is something that gives us great hope and plenty to look forward to in the new year. We have been using the time-off from international fixtures productively and been training hard remotely or in small groups where possible. We have a clear pathway now to both the T20 World Cup and the 50 Over Cricket World Cup with a very exciting schedule on the calendar now for Team USA. We will be doing everything we can to bring success to the team in both formats and we all can’t wait to get going again in Oman in March.”

 

[Saj]

American Cricket Enterprises is pleased to announce the full slate of founding investors for Major League Cricket in another significant step in the development of the first ever professional Twenty20 franchise cricket league in the United States.

The group of 20+ investors is an all-star roster of leading business executives and successful tech entrepreneurs who have been involved with some of the world’s most well respected companies. They bring diverse backgrounds to the endeavor as venture capitalists, founders, sports investors, leaders and business owners while mutually sharing an incredible passion for cricket. Collectively, they will add deep expertise in helping establish Major League Cricket as a world-class professional league.

The announcement by American Cricket Enterprises of this accomplished group of investors is another statement of validation for the vision of Major League Cricket, as well as strengthens cricket’s potential in becoming a mainstream sport in the U.S.

The Founders of American Cricket Enterprises, Sameer Mehta, Vijay Srinivasan, Satyan Gajwani and Vineet Jain, commented, “Today’s announcement is a hugely important one as we continue the development of a sustainable and successful cricket league in the United States. To follow up the announcement of the historic partnership with the Kolkata Knight Riders with this truly brilliant group of world-renowned investors is a tremendous sign of the progress and potential for Major League Cricket.”

“We feel very fortunate to have such an accomplished collection of people fully behind our vision to develop a T20 league that will bring world-class professional cricket to the world’s largest sports market. The scale of experience and expertise in this wider group of investors is truly remarkable, and we look forward to working with them all for many years into the future.”

Mr. Soma Somasegar, Managing Director of Madrona Venture Group said, "For many years, people have been talking about the potential for cricket in America. With Major League Cricket, we have the first clear opportunity to turn that potential into a reality. I am proud to join an amazing group of investors in backing the drive to bring a successful T20 league to the United States. I know from my own experience here in Seattle that there is a huge appetite for sports that are newer to the American market. I am certain that over the coming decade we will see Major League Cricket begin a trajectory of growth and bring the brilliance of world-class cricket to the wider American public. I am looking forward to working with both ACE and USA Cricket to collectively grow cricket in the USA.""

Mr. Aditya Agarwal, formerly the CTO at both Facebook and Dropbox said, "I am pleased to join with this dynamic group of investors in getting behind what is going to be a truly transformational project for cricket in America. Like billions of people around the world, one of my great loves in life is the sport of cricket, and to be able to invest in helping to bring a world-class cricket league to America is something I’ve been hugely enthused by. I am excited to be part of the growth and success of Major League Cricket over the coming years. "

Launching in 2022, Major League Cricket will deliver the highest quality professional T20 cricket for U.S. cricket fans. The league will feature top international players from the U.S. and around the world, underpinned by a focus on pathways to develop a homegrown player pool for cricket in America and the league.

 

[MenInG]

CRICKET CANADA AND USA CRICKET ANNOUNCE RETURN OF AUTY CUP IN 2021

Cricket Canada and USA Cricket are delighted to announce joint plans for the return of the annual Auty Cup, the longest running international sports rivalry in the world. Canada will host the USA in a 50 Overs series to be played this coming summer.

Pending final approval of the Canadian health authorities the 2021 Auty Cup will be played in Canada from July 26-30 at a venue to be determined later. The Auty Cup series will be played directly after the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Americas Qualifier, which Canada is hosting from July 17-23, 2021.

Reputed to be the first and longest running international sporting fixture of any type, the K.A. Auty Cup Trophy is an international cricket series played between Canada and the United States, hosted alternately by Cricket Canada and USA Cricket. After a 17 year gap the Auty Cup returned in 2011 and has been played across a variety of formats.

The Auty Cup series will serve as ideal preparation for Canada and the USA in the 50 Overs format with both countries having had no international cricket for more than 12 months due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Canada will be preparing for their ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League series in August 2021, while USA will be preparing for their ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 series in the same month.

Raspal Bajwa, Cricket Canada President, said, “After an incredibly difficult 12 months or so for all cricketing nations, we are very pleased to be able to have a strong summer of cricket to look forward to in 2021. We are looking forward to renewing rivalries in the Auty Cup and host our neighbours in USA Cricket directly after the T20 World Cup Qualifier this summer. ”
The newly re-appointed USA Cricket Chairman, Paraag Marathe, said, “We would like to thank our friends at Cricket Canada for hosting the return of the Auty Cup in 2021. The deep history and heritage of cricket across North America is something we both hold very dearly and we are excited to have been able to find a window to reinstate our local and historic rivalry for the Auty Cup.”

Cricket Canada and USA Cricket also explained that further discussions were ongoing about the prospect of extending the USA vs Canada rivalry to also include regular fixtures between the respective Women’s and Youth teams in 2021 and beyond.

 

[Babeikh]

I read this as 'RETURN OF AUNTY CUP' !

USA has a huge South Asian community and that is the only realistic way cricket can get a foothold of any kind.

 

[moghul]

" USA Cricket confirms Paraag Marathe reappointment as independent director, board chairman "

Is this the same guy who is also president of San Francisco 49ers and has been with 49ers for 20 years ? If that is so , its a big deal .

 

[MenInG]

USA Cricket is pleased to confirm the schedule, groups, format and match officials, as well as confirming when the squads will be named, for the first ever USA Cricket Under 19 National Championships which is being played at the Prairie View Cricket Complex in Houston, Texas from April 4th - 11th.

Groups

The eight teams will be separated into two groups of 4 where they will play 3 group matches each. The groups have been drawn at random, but the draw was weighted to ensure to i) place the West Zone Reds and West Zone Blues into two different groups and ii) that all conference sides were separated where possible.

Group A

Colts

Mid-Atlantic Zone

South Zone

West Zone Reds



Group B

East Zone

Midwest Zone

South West Zone

West Zone Blues


Format

Each team will play three group matches, with the top team in each group progressing to the Under 19 National Championship Final on Saturday April 10th, which will decide the first ever U19 National Champions. The teams finishing 2nd, 3rd, and 4th in each group will play each other in cross-over classification matches for the 3rd, 5th and 7th place positions respectively.

 

[moghul]

USA Cricket is pleased to confirm the schedule, groups, format and match officials, as well as confirming when the squads will be named, for the first ever USA Cricket Under 19 National Championships which is being played at the Prairie View Cricket Complex in Houston, Texas from April 4th - 11th.

Groups

The eight teams will be separated into two groups of 4 where they will play 3 group matches each. The groups have been drawn at random, but the draw was weighted to ensure to i) place the West Zone Reds and West Zone Blues into two different groups and ii) that all conference sides were separated where possible.

Group A

Colts

Mid-Atlantic Zone

South Zone

West Zone Reds



Group B

East Zone

Midwest Zone

South West Zone

West Zone Blues


Format

Each team will play three group matches, with the top team in each group progressing to the Under 19 National Championship Final on Saturday April 10th, which will decide the first ever U19 National Champions. The teams finishing 2nd, 3rd, and 4th in each group will play each other in cross-over classification matches for the 3rd, 5th and 7th place positions respectively.

Once Basil Butcher Jr and I were the selectors of East Zone under 19 team. Basil was good cricketer and son of West Indian test cricketer Basil Butcher.

 

[Bilal7]

This is a farce. How about the ICC get their house in order before inviting more guests? Several cricket boards are on the verge of bankruptcy, three cricket boards basically rule the international competitions and two boards have been at each other's throats for years.

The ICC is thoroughly incompetent. No wonder cricket is a dying sport.

 

[Joseph Gomes]

Cricket is more likely to become extinct than become popular in US.

 

[MenInG]

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., April 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- American Premiere League recently announced the formation of seven cricket teams: Americans, Indians, Windees, English, Aussees, Paks and Bengalees.

APL is rolling out the league in three separate phases. APL is currently seeking team investors to register for auctions with the base price starting at $250k, and it has already been endorsed by legendary cricket players from across the globe.


"A lot of leagues are being organized all over United States, but the idea of teams named after states or cities has been tried multiple times and it has failed miserably. This idea will never fly in North America. When it comes to cricket, we can all witness absolute empty stands from Canada all the way to Florida," said APL Founder and CEO, Jay Mir. "The reason cricket matches have such empty stands in U.S. and Canada has to do with a fundamental flaw in their business model. We've changed that model to reflect what fans actually want. And it starts with exciting teams, with names and matches that can generate huge media and sponsorship interest, like 'Indians vs Paks,' or 'Aussees vs English.'"

American Premier League: Three-Phase Roll Out

Investor packages contain specific details, but broadly speaking, the planned roll out includes:

Phase One: Auctioning off the seven, community named and outfitted teams. Signing up international players, conducting nationwide trials to recruit local talent.
Phase Two: Extreme targeted marketing and selling tickets through advertising in local community-based newspapers, TV channels, news media and social media blitz.
Phase Three: Conducting of historic cricket tournament with full media support and coverage.
"One can only imagine the power behind an Indians vs Paks or Aussies vs English match in a packed New York/ New Jersey stadium for the first time, which can become a yearly phenomenon for the southeast Asian, Caribbean, Australian and the English expat communities like the Super Bowl. The most important part of any sports league is the pride, excitement and energy generated by the fan base," Mir said. "Our teams bring that to the field, rallying their fan bases around respective communities to bring the passion and loyalty that sells tickets and fills stands.

"The teams are up for sale now, starting at $250,000 USD. We know that's a great opportunity for sports investors. We have made it easy so that regular hard-working Americans also have a chance to buy these teams. This is going to be a game changer. American Premiere League is destined to become the next big sports league after NFL, NBA and MLB. The tickets are only $20 and are going live on April 15th. We are already getting huge number of calls especially for the Indians vs Paks Match and the Finals. We have already signed multiple international players and singers and performers. There is going to be cricket, entertainment and spectacular fireworks display. There is no bigger honor to play for your country and no bigger honor to own a team named after your heritage. We urge all cricket-loving and cricket-hungry fans across USA & Canada to unite behind APL and buy tickets, flood the stands and be part of this revolution, and together we can make American Premiere League successful. Now is the time to get involved. We have secured a state-of-the-art stadium with a capacity of 8,000 right in the heart of the southeast Asian and Caribbean expat community.

"We will not let decades of power grab, corruption and election-rigging stand in the way of millions of cricket-hungry fans across this country any longer. We represent diversity and inclusiveness which is what America stands for. We not only have Indians on our team but also have Caribbean, English, Australian, Bengladeshi, Pakistani and Middle Eastern investors onboard. We are locked, loaded and ready to go this fall to show the power of cricket and diversity to this beautiful country."

Gill Addeo, General Manager of Jersey Jackals (Yogi Berra Stadium) added:

"We at the Jackals' organization are very excited to be working with Jay and the rest of the American Premiere League, hosting the historic cricket tournament at Yogi Berra Stadium. Our staff at the state fair group and the New Jersey Jackals couldn't be happier that we will be the home for this historic tournament. We are confident that we will provide great entertainment for the fans while following all proper COVID-19 protocols. We are in the event management business hosting 48 professional baseball games, youth level tournaments, games and showcases along with year-round events, concerts and fantastic fireworks displays. We are very excited to add this historic event to our calendar."

http://www.salamancapress.com/news/...cle_031f8552-3253-5401-8f24-e1a89627f62b.html

 

[salahuddin10]

What happened to the Major League cricket

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://arysports.tv/pakistani-players-participate-houstons-t20-league/

Four Pakistani players have left for the United States of America (USA) to take part in the Houston Open T20 Cricket League, ARY Sports reported.

Muhammad Ilyas, Hammad Azam, Owais Zia and Umar Khan are the four players who will participate in the competition. All four players will represent Houston Stallions.

Pakistani players based in the United States will also participate in the league, scheduled to start from April 18.

 

[Ryw]

What is the standard of Houston league? Will it be televised What channel?

 

[Colorblind Genius]

Four Pakistani players have left for the United States of America (USA) to take part in the Houston Open T20 Cricket League, ARY Sports reported.

Muhammad Ilyas, Hammad Azam, Owais Zia and Umar Khan are the four players who will participate in the competition. All four players will represent Houston Stallions.

Pakistani players based in the United States will also participate in the league, scheduled to start from April 18.

https://arysports.tv/pakistani-players-participate-houstons-t20-league/

I think it's not bad for young Pak players if they are not yet good enough for a career in Pak national team.
Usually, they don't have any high level of education or technical skill set to earn a living outside of cricket.

This could be a great incentive.
If earning in dollars and visiting to USA could trigger an open competition in Pakistan, we may potentially see an improvement in our domestic level cricket.

 

[OMB]

IMO cricketers don't need to have a high level of education or a technical skill set.
They are not in the national team because either they are not good enough or the selectors are not good enough

 

[Colorblind Genius]

IMO cricketers don't need to have a high level of education or a technical skill set.
They are not in the national team because either they are not good enough or the selectors are not good enough

If they are not good enough, then do you want to become street beggars to earn a living? Drive a cab may be?
They may also families to feed, no?

Having good education and/or a technical skill is ALWAYS beneficial no matter what your profession or line of work is.

 

[OMB]

Understand what I said. High (MS? PHD?) level of education. Technical (software? or welder?) skill set.
You changed high level to good education btw..

Cricketers who cannot make it to national team play domestics or start a cricket academy or slip into other roles related to cricket such as administration, training, umpiring, commentary or in media. All of these are very very important roles and so crucial to the cricketing landscape.
Everyone of those professions involve deep cricket knowledge which qualifies as (education by experience) and it requires cricket skills which is not a technical skill set.

I will grant you that having a good education always helps those who don't have any cricketing skill set at all.

 

[zn426]

I read this as 'RETURN OF AUNTY CUP' !

USA has a huge South Asian community and that is the only realistic way cricket can get a foothold of any kind.

hey, hey, that's the world's oldest cricketing rivalry there. Going on since 1844!

In any case

GO USA! Beat those silly Canadians!

 

[PakLFC]

The Americans will never take Cricket seriously. It is too much a minority Sport for them.

 

[SangasCoverDrive]

I don’t get why US cricket is hellbent on having domestic players from FM? They have a huge desi population and from what I heard they have a very decent club cricket infrastructure. Then why waste money on mercenaries?

 

[MenInG]

A New York pharmaceutical executive who was exposed to cricket when she traveled overseas as a child and later for business has purchased a franchise in a U.S. professional league that's gearing up.

Victoria Morgan, a senior associate director at pharma firm Boehringer-Ingelheim, bought the “English” cricket team franchise of the American Premiere League, per APL. Terms of the purchase were not disclosed.

The league comprises seven teams named after countries where the sport is played, including Americans, Indians, Windees (West Indies), English, Aussies, Paks (Pakistan) and Bengalees (Bangladesh).

The league will stage its first large event, a multi-week tournament, in September at Montclair University's Yogi Berra Stadium in Montclair, New Jersey.

Although not that well-known or extensively played in the United States, cricket is the second most-popular sport in the world after soccer with a fan base of 2.5 billion people. Americans liken it to baseball, as it has some similarities — two teams face off to play, hitting a ball with a bat, and players score runs.

Morgan said she spent a big part of her childhood and teenage years traveling to England and France with her father for business and then as an adult to England, India and the Middle East, and that's how she was introduced to cricket.

“I always wondered as to when will this wonderful sport arrive in this great country,” Morgan said, noting that she “took my sweet time to analyze the whole business plan and determined that this is the only plan which will serve cricket best in this country and at the same time unite several communities under this sport.”

Morgan is the first female franchise owner in American Premiere League.

Tryouts for the seven teams have drawn hundreds of candidates from across the United States and Canada, the league said.

“I am truly amazed and humbled by the tremendous response we have gotten from cricket-loving fans from across North America and wish Ms. Morgan the best competing in APL," said Jay Mir, CEO and founder of the league.

Mir grew up in Pakistan, where, he told NJ.com, “cricket is like religion, just like how it is in India and England and Australia.”

Mir has been trying to launch a pro cricket league in the United States since 2009. He said the league's team names give a shout-out to cricket-loving expat communities already living in the United States that he hopes will support them.

https://www.bizjournals.com/bizwome...-buys-a-franchise-as-pro-cricke.html?page=all

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Time to talk about USA Cricket?

I know most people have not been taking the moves USA Cricket has made in the past few months particularly seriously, but I think its about time to have a serious conversation on the future prospects of US Cricket.

Right off the bat let me say that I don't see cricket being anything close to the major US team sports: American Football, Baseball, Basketball, Hockey or even Soccer. Atleast not in my lifetime.

But its worth noting that the current signing spree that they are on can get them alot of better than average players. Players who with time are going to lift them from the depths of whatever division they are going to start out in once they are back.

Question is will they; after a certain period of time be in that Number 10-12 bracket that is currently occupied by teams like Ireland, Zimbabwe, Netherlands etc. And if so, would a World Cup featuring them attract interest from the states? Another important question would be how long can they sustain fielding a team of expats?

Because I don't see a lot of kids playing little league cricket in US for the foreseeable future.

 

[SangasCoverDrive]

They have a good set of young players but they got lost due to the attitude of USA Cricket and they want expats rather than homegrown players.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

They have a good set of young players but they got lost due to the attitude of USA Cricket and they want expats rather than homegrown players.

Its a double-edged sword. They need expats to elevate them above all the other associates. But obviously it is unsustainable over the long-term if they want to generate local interest in the game.

 

[Donal Cozzie]

I know most people have not been taking the moves USA Cricket has made in the past few months particularly seriously, but I think its about time to have a serious conversation on the future prospects of US Cricket.

Right off the bat let me say that I don't see cricket being anything close to the major US team sports: American Football, Baseball, Basketball, Hockey or even Soccer. Atleast not in my lifetime.

But its worth noting that the current signing spree that they are on can get them alot of better than average players. Players who with time are going to lift them from the depths of whatever division they are going to start out in once they are back.

Question is will they; after a certain period of time be in that Number 10-12 bracket that is currently occupied by teams like Ireland, Zimbabwe, Netherlands etc. And if so, would a World Cup featuring them attract interest from the states? Another important question would be how long can they sustain fielding a team of expats?

Because I don't see a lot of kids playing little league cricket in US for the foreseeable future.

They'll likely reach a t20 world cup or two in the future for sure, but in terms of actually establishing themselves it'll never happen. They'll always have money but never the administrative agreement or cooperation to turn it into something valid beyond a bunch of independent leagues running alongisde each other.

Sure literally buying a squad of players as they are doing (which should not be allowed whatsoever because it robs more deserving nations of actual world cup opportunities) may give some success, but nothing long term. That'll never come without getting buy-in from the locals and developing organically, which won't happen watching random unwanted Indian, Sri Lankan, Pakistani and Saffers with no american connection lining out for a payday.

Nothing wrong with the likes of Anderson or Plunkett as both are passport holders iirc, but the wholesale importing situation is a total farce and should never be allowed as it makes a joke of the international game.

 

[shujaatraza]

They'll likely reach a t20 world cup or two in the future for sure, but in terms of actually establishing themselves it'll never happen. They'll always have money but never the administrative agreement or cooperation to turn it into something valid beyond a bunch of independent leagues running alongisde each other.

Sure literally buying a squad of players as they are doing (which should not be allowed whatsoever because it robs more deserving nations of actual world cup opportunities) may give some success, but nothing long term. That'll never come without getting buy-in from the locals and developing organically, which won't happen watching random unwanted Indian, Sri Lankan, Pakistani and Saffers with no american connection lining out for a payday.

Nothing wrong with the likes of Anderson or Plunkett as both are passport holders iirc, but the wholesale importing situation is a total farce and should never be allowed as it makes a joke of the international game.

England being the pioneers of the game imports players all the time so should they stop as well? UAE doesn’t even give nationality so they should not have any sports team with immigrants or expats? Thing is if you qualify for national team of any country then thats it, it doesn’t matter if that person was born there or just landed 2 days ago.

 

[Donal Cozzie]

England being the pioneers of the game imports players all the time so should they stop as well? UAE doesn’t even give nationality so they should not have any sports team with immigrants or expats? Thing is if you qualify for national team of any country then thats it, it doesn’t matter if that person was born there or just landed 2 days ago.

England don't explicitly import players though to my knowledge. The counties take on players who qualify as domestic and if the ECB like them, they take them. Morgan, Rankin, Joyce and the others all played for England as they played county cricket for the requisite period and in some cases even have British passports anyway.

The example of the UAE is also poor as that country is like 90% expats, therefore the UAE cricket team also being mostly expats is perfectly acceptable and representative of the country the work in. The USE is not the same.

The USA are literally approaching and essentially buying leftover players from SA, Pakistan, SL etc. Its a big difference to the UAE playing expats who work there who happen to be decent, or the ECB calling up foreigners playing county who qualify. The USA don't have a cricket infrastructure to develop a quality national side, see the u19 results, nor do they have the ability to tap into the domestic audience, so they're basically just buying their way in as US Cricket will always have wealthy desi backers who want to see big teams play there, or the US to qualify for events.

The USA are entitled to do this of course, its within the rules, but hypothetically, if some random Mongolian billionaire started paying tens of thousands to get random former or domestic players over there and start playing in intl tourneys, whats the difference? There is none. I want Associate teams who are genuinely developing a sustainable future qualifying i.e Namibia, Nepal, Malaysia, Scotland, Netherlands etc. Even the UAE, Oman , HK, all sides people wrongly chastise for being foreign XI's, have all done xcellent development work. The US lost to the Cayman Islands two years ago in comparison.

I don't want to see a haphazard US cricket community that's used its brute financial force to buy Patel, Aslam, loads of Saffers etc qualifying on that logic. In none of those cases that I'm aware of, bar Anderson and Plunkett, do any of them have even an iota of a US background, no passport etc. Its akin imo to KKR entering a national side in ICC qualifying. They can do it if they want but I don't like it and long term it aids US cricket in no way whatsoever.