By Ritu Jha-
With the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s T20 World Cup starting Saturday, June 1, and running through June 29, excitement is building on US soil. USA Cricket, a co-host, and debutant in the tournament, is riding high after winning the three-match series 2-1 against Bangladesh last week.
The players were so excited that fast bowler Ali Khan said: “We [USA] are hungry, and are going to try to eat whoever comes in our way,” Khan said. “We need to put the US out there on the world cricket map…We have the talent, skills, and the ability if given the opportunities.”
But can USA Cricket truly compete at this level?
Atul Rai, USA Cricket Club director and interim chairman, echoed Khan’s optimism about the team’s talent but remained cautious about their World Cup prospects. He told indica, “I believe to get through the World Cup, Team USA needs more preparation. Ideally, we should have been playing for a whole year as a team. We barely picked the teams, which is a little late in the game.”
Rai admitted that while the wins against Bangladesh were morale boosters, they do not necessarily are true indicators of how the team will fare in the World Cup.
“We have a lot of good players, and new players like Corey Anderson, who played for New Zealand, before moving to the United States. He lives in Dallas. There are other good players too, but that’s not necessarily an indicator of how we will do in the World Cup itself. But facing big teams like Australia, India, Pakistan, and others will be a different challenge as they are well ahead of us.”
Financial constraints are a significant hurdle for cricket’s resurgence in the US. “Other teams play professional cricket throughout the year, but US players can’t afford to do so because the finances aren’t there yet,” Rai said.
He emphasized the need for grassroots development similar to that in India and other cricket-playing nations so that the players can make a living through playing cricket, as in India and other cricket-playing countries.
The parent body ICC has 12 full members, while the USA is one of the associate members, playing in a different set of games. “We are in Division 2 and have One-Day International status, which provides us better standing, funding, and structure as an organization,” Rai explained.
USA Cricket is placed in Group A with India, Pakistan, Canada, and Ireland in the upcoming World Cut. They will play the inaugural World Cup match against Canada in Dallas on June 1, followed by matches against Pakistan on June 6, India on June 12, and Ireland in Florida on June 14.
USA Cricket has faced issues with financial transparency leading to its suspension by the ICC. It was included in the World Cup at the last minute, offering hope to players and management. Current chairman Venu Pisike has stated in his profile that he aims to “promote cricket in the USA based on principles of unity, integrity, accountability, transparency, and professional governance” to make cricket the next big thing in America.
Rai, a former chairman, acknowledged the hot and cold relationship with the ICC but is optimistic that the World Cup will boost the sport’s profile in the U.S. “I’m working on a project to grow the game so that it’s played in every park and by every community. This project is fairly large and resource-intensive, but post-World Cup, we hope to make significant progress.”
USA Cricket is also banking on its homegrown T20 cricket league. Major League Cricket is a commercial partner of USA Cricket. USA Cricket also banks on its homegrown T20 league. Major League Cricket, a commercial partner of USA Cricket, held its first season last year, with the second season starting after the World Cup. Notable supporters include Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who owns the Seattle Orcas franchise.
“Nadella is very much involved in cricket and very supportive of the game here,” Rai said. “All these different leagues and corporate coming up in support of cricket will create more momentum and awareness about the game,” Rai added.
Rai believes that increased corporate support and the success of Major League Cricket will create more momentum and awareness for the game, potentially bringing significant revenue. “If the game grows, we can fund necessary resources for players and facilities.”
“The reason we see more cricket here now is that a lot of South Asian parents want their kids to play cricket. So there are a lot of academies that are being set up,” he said.
However, Rai said that while baseball may be considered an American sport with a long and illustrious history, cricket predates it. He cited historical records going back to 1709.
“There are a lot of second-generation South Asian boys and girls playing cricket. In the Bay Area and New Jersey, where there’s a huge population of South Asians, we see a lot more cricket being played against some other cities of the US and also one of the reasons for hosting one of the matches at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in Long Island, Rai added.
Despite growing interest, cricket in the USA is still viewed primarily as an expat game. Hemant Buch, founder of California Cricket Academy (CCA), noted the excitement for the World Cup. “Oh yes, there is huge excitement for the India-Pakistan match, the traditional rivals, and tickets are going at a premium,” Buch told indica.
Buch lamented that USA Cricket lacks popularity and proper organization. He criticized the lack of marketing effort for the World Cup, attributing it to insufficient funds and narrow focus beyond local leagues.
Commenting on the highly demanded India-Pakistan match tickets and their pricing, Buch said: “Club level with a 50% discount is going at $10,000.” He explained that the lack of excitement for the USA cricket team is because “cricket is still an expat game here and doesn’t carry nearly the same popularity.”
Regarding ticket pricing, Buch shared a message he received: “I can offer L2 South tickets (Diamond Club and Premium Club) for India vs. Pakistan. Best seats in the house: Diamond – $10,000 and $5,000 for other India matches (50% discount). Premium Club – $2,750 and $1,375 for other India matches. Let me know if you have family and friends who want this deal!!!”
Buch was pleased to see Saurabh Netravalkar, a USA Cricket player from the Bay Area, representing the USA in the World Cup. “He used to come and practice at our facilities,” Buch said.
Netravalkar, a Mumbai-born left-arm fast bowler who was a member of the India U-19 team in 2010 played Ranji Trophy, India’s domestic cricket, before migrating to the US after picking up a job with a software company, excelled during the Bangladesh series. There is this story about him. His colleagues in the office did not know he played cricket until they read the news about his selection to the USA team.
Buch, who started the academy for children aged 6-17 and established cricket grounds in seven cities in the San Francisco Bay Area, emphasized the importance of international-standard infrastructure. He noted, however, that USA Cricket players never paid for using the facilities.
Discussing USA Cricket’s challenges, Buch remarked that the US cricket body is still not functional, organized, financially wealthy, or influential enough to manage an event like the ICC T20 World Cup. “They lack the know-how, resources, and discipline,” he told Indica.
“Their focus is very narrow, mostly confined to their league and club. They only think beyond this when an ICC event comes up.”
Buch suggested that financial constraints hinder their progress. “They don’t have enough funds to do a lot. Salaries, administration, and the CEO take up most of the budget, leaving zero for marketing.”
“There is no hoopla. Whatever marketing is done is by the ICC. These guys have made zero effort to popularize or take advantage of this event to find sponsors. It’s unfortunate… either they don’t have the time or the knowledge,” Buch concluded.
