Cricket gaining popularity in Canada
International Cricket Tournament Brings Pros from South Africa, Australia
As Niagara becomes increasingly more multi-cultural with an influx of diverse ethnic groups moving here from the GTA, new customs and ways of life are seeping into the area. And cricket is among them. A combined professional cricket and Bollywood event was held at several Niagara locations this past weekend, with the show, Bollywood Boundaries, produced in conjunction with the Niagara Cricket Club, held at Ridley College’s Mandeville Theatre. Sixty professionals performed Bollywood songs and dance, including a multi-genre dance competition.
The Niagara Cricket Centre hosted teams with players coming from as far away as Australia and South Africa. The Indian Power Cricket Academy (IPCA) won the final match and a $10,000 grand prize by five wickets, while the Sault Ste. Marie Club (SSMC) landed in the final round and went home $2,500 richer.
The Sault club, which was the only Canadian team, scored 97 runs in allotted 20 overs and Indian Power Cricket Academy won the game in 16 overs, losing only five wickets.
Nicknamed the Soo Stormers, the Sault team’s president, Harry Mukundan doesn’t play but is passionate about nurturing the players’ camaraderie and keeping them organized.
“We’re like a wolf pack,” he said. “We go as a team and play our hearts out.”
According to Niagara Cricket Club board member Tan Qureshi, the club dates back more than 100 years, having relocated from Ridley College six years ago to Thorold Townline Road.
Installing and maintaining the turf wickets is expensive, since the grass must be cut to less than onehalf of an inch to play properly. It can be challenging for Canadians who compete against countries that are equipped with facilities for playing year-round.
Qureshi believed that “If you build it, they will come. And they are coming,” he said — teams spanning the globe, including the English National Girls Cricket team, which recently played at the Thorold centre.
With no residential neighbours near the property, players “can hit the ball very far here and can make as much noise as they want.”
The aim of hosting international tournaments is to promote the game, “and to make it more vibrant in all corners of the world,” said Prain Persaud, President of Cricket Ontario.
“It’s the fastest growing sport in Canada right now.”
In his hometown league encompassing Brampton and Etobicoke, there are now 140 cricket teams made up of men, women and youth players, he said.
“Our Canadian U19 team just left to go to St. Kitts in the West Indies” to compete in the world cup.
“The social aspect of these tournaments is also important,” said Persaud, adding that teams usually travel with a chaperone.
Drikus Janse van Vuuren, a 19-year-old player from South Africa, said he was enjoying his first time in Canada, taking in Niagara Falls, the outlet malls, and baseball cages in the area.
“It’s a beautiful country,” he said, joking that “Drivers here are on the wrong side of the road.”
For Aseem Tuli, age 29, it was the second time he made the trek to Canada from Jalandhar, Punjab in India.
“I really like to play here,” he said. “The way they maintain the grounds is amazing.”
The cricket ball is much harder than a baseball and one and a half times heavier. It’s also stitched differently, allowing players to use the stitching strategically when bowling. Only the wicket keeper is allowed to wear gloves and leg guards; the rest of the team wears no equipment at all.
“We have swollen hands; broken fingers,” said Pavan Sidhu, 25, a member of the Sault team.
A professional cricket player since 2013, Sidhu is proud of the team’s diversity, with teammates coming from Australia, India, and Pakistan.
He said pro cricket players visit elementary and high schools throughout Sault Ste. Marie, teaching students about the game and giving hands-on demonstrations.
“We teach them the rules and how it is different from baseball. We’ve been finding they are interested in the sport.”