Cricket in United States Basically American South Asians are trying to popularize cricket. The ICC is eyeing the 2023 World Twenty20 and Major League Cricket before the 2024 Los Angeles Olympics.
Most people in America are not interested in cricket. Again the cricket world is not interested in America. Yet there is cricket in America. Cricket also has America. Will this word ‘have’ become ‘will be’? The answer lies in the womb of the future.
Among popular American sports like baseball, cricket has no place in the first place that comes to mind. But the number of cricketers in America can put the country to shame by playing many Tests. The number of nine to nine is about two lakh. None of whom, except a few, are actually American.
The AirHogs baseball stadium is located in Grand Prairie, Texas. The AirHogs had a football team. The stadium was used as the home stadium of the football team. Football was played on artificial turf. Airhogs could not withstand the impact of the corona epidemic. The football team rose in 2020. The stadium reopened a few months ago. This time not for football, but for cricket. The AirHogs baseball stadium is the first designated for Major League Cricket Cricket in United States.
This one incident cannot prove that the popularity of baseball or football in America is at the bottom. Still, many people come to the field on Sunday afternoons or evenings to watch baseball or football matches. Traffic outside the stadiums is disrupted for the crowd. Sports fans flock to nearby restaurants. Many people are betting on the result of the match. Excitement in the success of the favorite team, disappointment in failure. Cricket is still almost unknown to America’s baseball, football-loving crowd. Even though some have heard the name, cricket is still a foreign game to them. They are not worried about cricket. But cricket is dreaming of standing on American soil Cricket in United States.
Although most people in America are not interested, about 7 million citizens are very interested. About 42 lakhs of these 7 million people went to that country from India. About 13 lakh people have gone from other South Asian countries. Another 1.5 million people went to America from various countries in the West Indies or from a country that was a British colony. Actually there are some people in Britain who are interested in cricket. Of these 7 million, 68 percent were not born in America. With their interest and love, cricket has started to take root in the country of baseball and football Cricket in United States.
Over the past few years, the popularity of cricket is increasing in different cities of America. The number of South Asians living in America has doubled in the past two decades. Every summer boys and girls of different ages can be seen playing cricket in local parks or fields. Native Americans also often stand and watch. Some try to find similarities with baseball.
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Ex-captain of India’s Under-19 World Cup-winning team, Abhishek Chand can play the next T20 World Cup for America. Sunny Sohal, Siddharth Trivedi who played in different teams in IPL are now American cricketers. America is one of the hosts of the 2024 T20 World Cup. On that occasion, they will play in the main stage of the World Cup. ICC is also looking at the success of T20 World Cup. The inclusion of cricket in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics could be easier in that case Cricket in United States.
American cricket first stepped into the international arena in 1844 in Manhattan. America lost to Canada in that match. According to information, cricket was first played in America in 1737 in Georgia. Taking that account, America’s identity with cricket is 235 years! There was cricket in America, there is cricket. Will there be?
Baseball has a history of being ahead of cricket. Cricket played in Georgia in 1737 is mentioned by Tom Melville in the book ‘The Tented Field’. As the reason for the backwardness of cricket, he wrote, “During the civil war, cricket was difficult to play. Cricket requires a smooth batting surface. Baseball doesn’t need that. Another reason, he writes, is that baseball was played much less frequently.” “Baseball was second and far behind until the Civil War,” he wrote in the book.
At that time, how baseball was adapted to the character of American people? Many sports historians say that the game of baseball began in England in the mid-18th century. In 1905, a businessman named Albert Spalding set up a commission to find the origin of the game. “After the Civil War, baseball was still very much behind,” Throne said Cricket in United States.
Later attempts were made to create a myth out of baseball. which was identified as America’s national secular character.” According to a 1937 survey, baseball was the favorite sport of 34 percent of Americans. However, in a 2017 survey, 9 percent of people said baseball was their favorite sport. Seven percent of people’s favorite sport is football. A Major League Baseball game takes at least two hours to complete. An average game takes more than three hours. There is no time to watch sports in America’s modern busyness. That is why the popularity of baseball is gradually decreasing Cricket in United States.
Cricket is also a long game. Why is interest in cricket increasing? One of the reasons for this is that cricket is much more exciting than baseball. More incidents than usual. The more exciting the game, the more American people like it. IPL is the main reason for changing the perception of people in America about cricket. After the start of IPL in 2008, sports lovers got a taste of the frenzy and excitement of T20 cricket.Franchise leagues have started gradually in all countries. IPL and other leagues have changed the ‘boring’ perception of cricket. The attitude of sports lovers is broken due to the smallest version of cricket.
After Tests, one-day cricket, then T20s—cricket has changed its character with time. This evolution of cricket has kept its attraction and popularity intact. Along with changing the character of the game, colorful costumes, playing at night also added an extra dimension. British sports journalist Tim Wigmore wrote about T20 cricket, “IPL has made Indian cricket America’s favorite.” An international competition. World’s best cricketers play. The funny thing is, an Indian team always wins.” This action of the Indian Cricket Board also created the interest of American people towards cricket. BCCI also took the idea of creating city-based franchises from America.
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Many of those who are interested in cricket in America are well established. He holds important positions in various American organizations including Microsoft, Adobe. There are also top level bosses. They are also interested in the spread of cricket in America. This is what makes American cricket fans hopeful. Major League Cricket will be held for the first time in 2023. This competition is scheduled to be held from July 13 to July 30.
Los Angeles Knight Riders franchise of Kolkata Knight Riders will play in this competition. Knight Riders is the third overseas team after Abu Dhabi, Trinidad and Tobago. CEO Benky Mysore said, “We will try to attract the sports lovers of America to cricket. We have taken on a big challenge.”Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington DC – a total of six franchises will play in this competition. Along with Major League Cricket there will be Minor League Cricket. 26 teams will play in this competition.
A study found that a large proportion of Indians living in America are working in Silicon Valley. Their average annual income is around one crore rupees as of 2019. That is almost twice the annual income of the original citizens of America. A large part of cricket lovers are Indians. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is among the patrons of American cricket. He has been interested in cricket since his college days. He was a spinner in college level competition in Hyderabad.
Medium-sized cricket matches in America now also have spectators in the gallery. There are about 400 minor cricket leagues in different parts of America. Almost all of the players have roots in South Asia, Africa or the Caribbean Islands. All members of the US U-19 men’s and women’s teams are of Indian origin.
So far investment in Major League Cricket has been confirmed to be around Tk 364 crore. Various organizations have promised to invest about 630 crore rupees in the future. The success of this tournament could give the 2028 Olympics organizers a boost about cricket. Again, if cricket gets a place in the list of sports, it can be much easier to raise the huge cost of hosting the Olympics. The ICC is hopeful that this mutual interest can add new feathers to cricket’s crown. Cricket is now one of the most popular sports in the world in terms of viewership. On the other hand, America is the largest sports market in the world. Both sides are thinking about this issue. That’s why cricket is still a ‘foreign’ game to most people in America and can’t be avoided.
What is the point of accepting cricket in America in the near future? According to a group of sports experts, if America gives importance, many other countries will give importance. Whether it’s an expression of loyalty to America or a desire not to leave the land in sports, cricket stands to benefit. Former Bengal cricketer Saurashis Lahiri thinks so. He says, “The more countries play, the better for cricket. A country like America, which is a powerhouse of sports, is very good for cricket if it gets importance or recognition there. Cricket has expanded to a certain extent in America. As it increases. One of the reasons for the growing popularity of cricket in America is certainly the growing population of South Asians. Even if you look at their national team, you can see boys from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka.
Sudeep Chattopadhyay, who left Bengal this season to play for Tripura, is also hopeful. He said, “Many new countries are getting interested in cricket. Fewer countries play cricket than football. If the number of countries increases, cricket gains. Cricket is quite popular sport. That is also one of the reasons for the interest of new countries. He said, “It is not bad to make a team with cricketers of foreign origin in the beginning. They can learn from it. Because the game is new to them. No experience, no skills. If there is no success at all, interest is not sustained. If successful, there will be an interest among little girls in America. It will be seen after a few years that they are playing for America.
Not only open. England cricketer Liam Plunkett went there to play cricket in response to America’s call. His wife was born in Philadelphia, USA. He will play for them. South African cricketer Shadley Van Schalwijk is also now an American cricketer.
Cricketers are coming to America from other European countries like Netherlands, Scotland. America’s cricket bosses are now looking for those talented and skilled cricketers who have little chance of getting a chance in their country’s national team. They are promising a better life and fulfilling their dream of becoming an international cricketer. The American Cricket Association was forced to cancel the bilateral T20 series with Ireland in 2021 due to lack of money. America’s cricket officials believe that there will be no financial crisis if success comes. America will not be able to compete with countries like India, Australia, England, Pakistan by playing first-class cricket. Officials hope that once it gains popularity, it will be difficult to stop cricket in America. America will also have to compete in the 22-yard fight in the near future.
