God of cricket bats for game’s gospel

India’s legendary God of cricket Sachin Tendulkar has retired from the competitive version of the game. But his passion for batting remains. Now he will bat to carry the game’s gospel and spread the religion of cricket in territories that have not seen the glorious uncertainties of this game. The accomplished master Sachin has a new mission.

The United States of America is now his latest batting ground. Accompanied by other legends of the game -- Brian Lara from West Indies, Shane Warne from Australia, Wasim Akram from Pakistan, Mahela Jayawardene of Sri Lanka and Shaun Pollock from South Africa -he will be at the head of this pack of cricketing evangelists.

An American sports marketing company, Leverage Agency, has seen the potential for this game. It has planned a three-city ten-day tour with Tendulkar and Warne leading two teams of 35+ retired international players to battle it out for three T20 games at U.S. baseball stadiums in New York’s Citi Field on November 7, Houston’s Minute Maid Park on November 11, and Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on November 14.

The Americans who are accustomed to watching fast paced baseball games may be unfamiliar with the leisurely pace of the game of cricket but the diaspora from the cricketing playing/loving nations is present quite in abundance at all these places to generate an interest in the game. It is expected that these all time greats would not only display their cricketing skills at these venues, but would also hold clinics for the aspiring cricketers and impart them training about the basics of the game. This strategy to popularise cricket in America is similar to the one followed by several top soccer clubs from Europe, like Manchester United and Barcelona, who have played in the U.S., and the sport’s popularity has grown.