A typical Cricket match in America, before the drafting of cricketing bodies and grassroots development efforts of the game by the International Cricket Council (ICC), would come on ground with a tantalising Caribbean flavour.
As the motley teams would play in the middle of a field usually borrowed from football stadia, the Black lady in rainbow-coloured clothes would be hotting up palates with her jerk chicken preps even as the reggae music and drums would be on high beat in the stands.
Dance, music, beer and a lot to eat created the atmosphere for a game which would be all very informal and for fun – fun for the people who loved Cricket and largely depended on seeing the international matches on high-paid cricket streaming satellite TV.
So, who were the players? Who were the spectators? The West Indians, Indians, Pakistanis and other South Asian immigrants along with a splattering of the English gentlemen. Where would these matches be held?
In pockets where the immigrants from Commonwealth nations lived, so Texas, New York and Florida mainly. Not that much has changed from those days which preceded the Major Cricket League formation in 2023 and its six teams getting a formalisation training in the game.
The T20 World Cup which kicks off in June would be hosted in the US for the group stage matches, after which it would move to its lovely home on the other side of the Atlantic – to West Indians.
The three main venues in the US are New York, Texas and Florida, pockets where the immigrants are high in number and power the game. The surge in immigration from cricket-loving nations such as India, Pakistan, and the Caribbean has fuelled cricket's rise in the US.
With a ready-made fanbase familiar with the sport's intricacies, the stage is set for competitive cricket to thrive.
Add to this, the newfound focus on Youth Development activities and you have a path that looks like a ladder for the game to go up in popular imagination. Initiatives like the United States Youth Cricket Association (USYCA) are pivotal in Cricket's grassroots growth.
The idea behind introducing the sport at the school level, is to ensure that Cricket transcends immigrant communities and sparks genuine interest among American youth.
In recent years, the sport has experienced a steady surge in popularity across the US, particularly in areas densely populated with South Asian communities like Houston, New York, and Los Angeles.
For instance, the Dallas-Fort Worth region alone boasts a sizable population of more than 220,000 Indian-Americans. Rise of T20 Format As per the United States of Cricket, the sport currently boasts a participation base of over 200,000 players across the nation.
These enthusiasts engage in a wide array of competitions, spanning over 400 local leagues, tournaments, academies, college, and school programs throughout the United States.
Cricket in the US offers various formats including hardball, tapeball, softball, disabled cricket, and indoor cricket, among others.
However, they have immersed into the T20 format. What has gone immensely in the favour of the gentleman’s game is its short format which can now compete with Baseball, at least where the time is concerned.
Besides that, the electrifying T20 format has struck a chord with American audiences, aligning seamlessly with the nation's love for fast-paced sports.
Offering a thrilling spectacle akin to popular American sports, T20 cricket serves as a gateway to the game for many.
Investor Interest
So it was only a matter of time that the big commercial gains waiting to be harvested by Cricket in Big Sam territory, would come on their own.
The allure of a new sporting frontier in the vast US market has captivated investors. Their financial backing fuels infrastructure development, league promotion, and the potential recruitment of international cricket stars, bolstering the sport's profile. Investors have shown immense faith in the growth potential of cricket in the US, pouring in over $1 billion to bolster its expansion efforts.
A substantial portion of these investments, exceeding $100 million, has been directed towards constructing cricket stadiums for the upcoming league. Additionally, census estimates highlight that Indian Americans hold the highest median household income among all demographic groups in the nation.
Looking Ahead
As the ICC T20 World Cup approaches in June, all eyes will be on Cricket's reception among mainstream American audiences. The success of MLC (Major League Cricket) and the upcoming World Cup will serve as litmus tests for the game’s future in the US, marking a pivotal juncture in its journey towards mainstream acceptance. The non-cricketing Americans will come too. But for now, it is the safe route of tapping the colonial pockets of the population in America.
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