Cricket in USA: Mr. Tendulkar v Mr. Warne – Dr. Nilesh D. Mehta

On Oct 6, 2015

Cricket in USA: Mr. Tendulkar v Mr. Warne: Dr. Nilesh D. Mehta

Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne have retired from cricket. How hungry are the fans in the USA to see these stalwarts in action? Fans in New York, Houston, and Los Angeles will give the answer in November.

According to sources, Tendulkar and Warne are going to be opposing skippers in three Twenty20 matches that will be played in baseball stadia after the completion of 2015 Major League Baseball season.

Three venues, over two dozen retired cricketers who have represented seven cricket playing nations, will be displaying their cricketing talent in front of cricket crazy fans in the USA. This is certainly an experiment to popularize the sport while generating revenue judging by the price of the tickets at individual venues. Players from India who are reportedly expected to participate include the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, and Ajit Agarkar. Other notables from cricket world include: Jacques Kallis, Shaun Pollock, Lance Klusener, Jonty Rhodes, Allan Donald, Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar, Saqlain Mushtaq, Moin Khan, Graeme Swann, Michael Vaughan, Brian Lara, Courtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose, Kumar Sangakkara, Muttiah Muralitharan, Mahela Jayawardene.

Three Twenty20 matches will be played – first match on November 7 at Citi Field (home to New York Mets), second match on November 11 at Minute Maid Park (home to Houston Astros), and final match on November 14 at Dodger stadium ( home to Los Angeles Dodgers).

True international level cricket has been a rare event in the United States in the previous few years. Two teams – West Indies and New Zealand played a cricket match in Lauderhill, Florida over three years ago. Given the internal turmoil of US Cricket Association in the recent past, ICC had not been particularly keen in promoting International level cricket in the USA. Would this move by Tendulkar and Warne spark off renewed interest for this sport for cricket loving fans in the USA? Ironically, the only ICC certified cricket stadium in Florida is not going to be one of the sites for any of the matches.

A generation of cricket fans who have not seen these players live in action would have their wishes and dreams come true. Basketball enthusiasts who never saw Magic Johnson or Michael Jordan or Larry Bird play would pay top dollars for an abbreviated basketball game. Would they?

This is great news for cricket fans.