Long Island, New York — On a cold Sunday afternoon in May, Anjum Sabar – captain of the PakAmerica Cricket Club – watched as his team batted against the Hawks Cricket Club on a grass field at Eisenhower Park in Long Island, New York.
The match – part of New York’s Commonwealth Cricket League (CCL) – was being played just a stone’s throw from what is now the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, one of the venues for the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
While workers applied the finishing touches to the specially built modular stadium – destined to host South Asian cricket powerhouses India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh – two teams made up of semi-professional cricketers of South Asian heritage played in the nearby.
Sabar, a 43-year-old businessman, migrated to the United States from Pakistan in 1998 and started playing cricket for PakAmerica a year later. Sadaf Sabar, his wife of 14 years, knows she shouldn’t ask for help on the weekends because every Sunday, Sabar goes to different parks in New York to play the game she grew up with in Pakistan.
“Home” cricket matches were always watched on television at his family home in Sialkot, a city in northeastern Pakistan that is known as the country’s main sports equipment manufacturing center.
“I’ve never been to the stadium to watch a game,” Sabar told Al Jazeera as he watched his PakAmerica teammates.
“We watched the game on TV and played in the streets – like all Pakistani children do.”
Cricket fans – old and new
It’s a similar story for many South Asian cricketers who now live in New York and play to stay connected to their roots.
For Sabar and his friends, cricket in their country meant raising money to buy tennis balls for their street tape-ball games; running back and forth in chappals (slippers) while friends shouted “aik aur, aik aur” (one more run) outside and running back home before the evening Maghrib prayer.
Now, these neighborhood cricket matches come to life as the South Asian diaspora gathers in New York’s parks after a week of mad racing.
Back at Eisenhower Park, the PakAmerica vs Hawks CC game had an unexpected spectator.
Mike Niewender, a bewildered 56-year-old from the wealthy Long Island village of New Hyde Park, watched from the parking lot.
“I don’t understand the game,” Niewender told Al Jazeera as he smoked a cigar while leaning against his heavy bike.
“I’m trying to figure it out on my own before I see something on social media or read about it,” he said looking out onto the field.
“I drive here every Sunday and watch the game. I discovered the game last summer and now I come here every weekend to relax on Sunday.
Keeping cricket alive in New York
Cricket has existed in New York for 44 years. The CCL emerged in New York in 1979 and comprises more than 120 clubs, according to Long Island community leader Imran Pasha, who grew up playing cricket in Hyderabad, India.
He claims that “every kind of cricket match” is played in New York. “From hard ball to softball, tape ball to hard tennis – everything.”
Now, New York is the stage for more high-profile, higher-stakes matches.
Last year, the US won the hosting rights to 16 of the 53 games at the 2024 T20 World Cup, including arguably the biggest one bar the final: India v Pakistan.
Long Island’s modular stadium, which was assembled piece by piece over the past few months, has capacity for approximately 40,000 spectators. It is expected to reach maximum capacity on June 9.
In 2023, the ICC chose a site in the Bronx to locate the stadium, but community members and local leaders raised environmental concerns and demanded a public review of an environmental study before the stadium was approved. Approval would have to go through a public review process that could take up to six months, prompting the ICC to move to Long Island, according to Pasha.
“Long Island has the space and environment to host something as big and spectacular as the World Cup,” he told Al Jazeera.
The 45-year-old plays for the Long Island Cricket Club in the local league. He has been working with the local Nassau County subcommittee, which liaises with the ICC on matters related to holding the eight games in New York.
A software engineer by trade, Pasha is excited about the opportunities the World Cup games can bring to the local cricket community as well as businesses throughout Nassau County.
“We work hard to keep clubs as professional as possible through local sponsorships, trained referees, kits, equipment and park permits,” he said.
“[These things] It takes time and money, but we come together and try our best.”
Pasha is betting on the World Cup to “change the dynamics of cricket reception in New York”.
“The stadium itself has brought much-needed attention to local clubs – attention they have been hoping and hoping to get for some time.”
Inspiring the next generation
Pasha, who is known in the local community for his honesty and hard work, hopes the tournament will have a domino effect on the local cricket scene.
“This could lead to [proper] explore opportunities for the US team and organize interstate matches – similar to how cricket is played in other countries,” he explained.
Others, like Neville Kunjravia, see the World Cup as a networking opportunity. The 34-year-old has mastered the role of cricket umpire for years and hopes the ICC takes note. His dream is to referee coveted games, like the World Cup.
He refereed the PakAmerica-Hawks CC match wearing a navy blue hat – similar to that worn in cricket refereeing.
For Ali Zafar, owner of the only known cricket equipment store – Zar Sports – on Long Island, it is a feeling of pride and excitement that cricket is finally coming “home” for him and other South Asian diasporas like him.
“The World Cup has always been held elsewhere and I have never had the opportunity to watch a game or be part of the excitement,” he said.
The 38-year-old was unable to buy tickets for the New York games, but hopes the presence of the world’s greatest cricketers will “attract the younger generation to the game”.
“We all bring our children to our [local] games, but that’s different from them wanting to come in as players.”
Sabar, the PakAmerica captain, also has high hopes for the tournament.
“I really want younger people to have the same passion for the game as we do,” he said.
“I hope they keep the stadium here for local teams so younger generations can enjoy cricket like we did.”
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
