You can take an Indian out of India but you cannot take the love of cricket out of an Indian. This could not be more true than it is in the case of Indian immigrants in the US.
Living thousands of miles away from their cricket — crazy homeland, in a country where sports is synonymous with baseball, basketball and football, Indian-Americans have not let go of their cricket heritage.
Their passion for the game is intact. And some of them are now focusing on growing cricket in the US and popularising the sport among young Americans. Manas Sahu is one such cricket fanatic who has set his sights on taking the game to the younger generation.
Sahu immigrated to the US 10 years ago from India. He captains Boston Gymkhana Club, a cricket team he joined six years ago. Last December, he took over as president of the Massachusetts State Cricket League (MSCL), the 104-year old organisation in charge of cricket in the state.
Cricket may be one of the most popular and richest sports in the world but not many in the US follow the game. "That doesn't mean cricket cannot grow here," Sahu told PTI.
"The sport has a good future in this country. We have been playing cricket here because we love the game. It's time we focus on coaching the younger generation if we want cricket to grow in this country," he said.
Cricket may not have many takers in America but the game is not new to the country. The first international cricket match was played between the US and Canada in 1844 in New York.
The game's popularity dwindled during the Civil War as interest in the faster-paced game of baseball grew. It saw signs of revival only around the 1960s thanks to immigrants from cricket-playing South Asian and Caribbean countries.
Today, there are 45 leagues across the country, 675 clubs and over 12,000 players, according to the USA Cricket Association, the official governing body for the sport.
California, Chicago, Florida, New Jersey, New York and Texas are the main hubs for cricket.
"Cricket in the US is seen as a sport that immigrants play," Sahu says. Little surprise since the country's national cricket team is made up of players born in India, Pakistan, Jamaica and Guyana.
"Americans don't follow the sport since tournaments are not shown here on channels like ESPN," explains Sahu. "On the other hand, those who play cricket are willing to pay subscription fees to see the matches online".
The cricket infrastructure in the US is also not something to talk home about. Sahu points out that some of the grounds his teams play on do not have proper pitches.
Players often rent football and baseball fields for their matches and practice in indoor baseball batting cages. Raising money and finding sponsors is another hurdle the teams face. Team members chip in money for match fees, umpire fees and to book grounds. The fee for each player is about $200 for a season, which typically begins in May and runs through September before the snowy winters set in.
Sahu has managed to rope in Reebok to sponsor coloured uniforms for all of MSCL's 28 teams. An Indian dentist and a restaurant owner have also chipped in money. Their names and logo are printed on the players' t-shirts.
MSCL, which has seen the number of teams grow across the state from eight about a decade ago to 28, is in talks with the city officials to develop a field exclusively for cricket.
If things work as planned, players will have a proper cricket ground — with a pitch and lighting — next season. An indoor cricket ground is also on Sahu's wishlist, so the teams can play year round.
"What's more important is to introduce the game to the younger generation, to coach students in schools and colleges," he says. Kids are inclined toward baseball, basketball and football because that is what they are taught in schools.
"Children of cricketers here learn games like baseball and basketball by default because that is what their friends play... I want to see my son growing up and having a platform to play cricket," explains Sahu.
Starting in 2010, Sahu has initiated a programme called “One Club, One School”, in which a cricket club will adopt a school and coach its students."Our goal is to introduce cricket at the elementary and middle school level. Even if a handful of children show interest, it'll be a start," he says hopefully.
Tough financial times have forced many schools to reduce funding and cut programmes in their sports departments. Sahu sees this as "window of opportunity" to introduce cricket in schools. "We'll provide cricket kits and coach children for free. It'll be a sort of free trial offer. If the children like the sport, we'll partner with the school and continue coaching them," says Sahu, whose team is also organising cricket coaching camps for kids.
Sahu is also looking at inviting cricketers from India to play matches as well as coach youngsters here. In 2010, he invited his friend cricketer Debasish Mohanty to play in the MSCL matches.
Mohanty would also coach youngsters at a cricket camp that Sahu's team is organising. Cricket scholarships are another way to promote the game among children. "Unfortunately cricket is not one of those sports yet," Sahu says.
Even some of Sahu's cricket-loving friends want their children to play basketball and football, sports that will help them get college scholarships. The thought is echoed by Ankush Chandra, a second year medical student at Boston University. A self-described cricket fanatic, Chandra is president of the Boston University Cricket Club (BUCC), one of the few university level cricket teams in Boston. The others are at MIT and the University of Massachusetts.
"Cricket is not recognised as a varsity sport in the US. Most of the clubs operate as social entities. Extending scholarships to students will go a long way in growing the game," the 21-year old student says. Chandra's university does not rule out the possibility that cricket can become a varsity sport in future.
"Cricket is fast gaining popularity on college campuses. If it continues to grow, I don't see why it'll not be considered as a varsity sport by the National Collegiate Athletic Association," says Brian Kelley, senior assistant director, Athletic Communications at Boston University.
Sahu and Chandra speak optimistically about cricket's future in the US. "Americans are showing some interest in the game," Chandra says. What can work in cricket's favour, he says, is that it is similar to baseball as far as tossing the ball and swinging the bat is concerned.
A few of Chandra's American friends join him for cricket practice. He is surprised to see that some of them are good with the bat and a few field and throw the ball well.
"Once they play, they realise cricket is not that hard. You just have to coach the basics and they can easily pick up the game," Chandra's adds. Of the about 25 BUCC members, 5 are Americans.
Sahu too has a couple of American friends who come to watch his matches and are keen to learn the sport. "It is a slow start but at least it's a start." Sahu points out that the Twenty-20 cricket format is best suited for the American audience. It lasts about three hours — almost the same time as a baseball game. A 50-over match or a five-day innings may not find any takers in America.
"If you really want to attract Americans to play cricket, the game has to be short and sweet. Twenty-20 is the way to go. I don't see why a tournament like the IPL will not be successful here. It will attract a lot of Americans to cricket," Sahu adds.
As Sahu is talking, his six-year old son, born and raised in the US runs up to him. "I want to play cricket like daddy," he says in an American accent. Sahu gushes with pride and pumps his fist in the air.