For quite a while now I’ve been into this. It’s one of the best things in sport. People from other countries really want to play “our” game and they love it…no thanks to Cricket Australia who hooked up with the BCCI of India a few years ago for profit…quite ilegally funneling money from ICC events to their own coffers…even aussies can be tempted by greed
My first post is from Rwanda…When I was writing about cricket and fighting the ICC, I got a message from a kid named Eric. He was 15 or so and he told me he would play for Rwanda one day and help that team up the rankings…he was right https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXUg7_V5eEM
And my second one for today is Masaomi Kobayashi from Japan.
I interviewed him when he was fairly young for a UK cricket site.
That was years ago, and he is now captain and the game has grown in Japan…they have turf pitches at last and over 10,000 players participating…and oddly enough…the slower the game the more they like it…often you can get 10 runs scored off 100 balls at dometic level…good luck Japan and Masaomi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83hBOMWnd8s
To understand how big cricket has become in Afghanistan in the last 10 years, you only have to look at the popularity of their domestic competition. Of course, for the time being, international sides can’t tour there, so all Afghanistan’s international matches are played away but at some stage that will change and I imagine it will be a heck of an experience for any touring side. Interestingly, the sheer popularity of the sport there has seen it also spill over to neigbouring countries Iran and Tajikistan.
LH was told the Afgan Cricket story the other day by a Afgan.
During the Soviet V Mujhadeen war 1979-1989.And 89-93 v Afgan communist government. When the Mujhadeen where waiting for weapons or supplys they would cross into the safe haven of Pakistan. That’s where they where introduced to Cricket.
Also in some cases people fled Afghanistan into refugee camps on the Pakistan border.
Then when Afghanistan became a bit safer the returning refugees showed the sport to the general population and they loved it. Even the taliban accepted so legend has it.
Much the same as Rwanda when the returning refugees picked up the game in Kenya and more particularly Uganda, which is another country where the sport has really taken off but the Uganda story I’ll save for another day.
PNG hgas over 180,000 people involved in their cricket program. At last the game is spreading from Port Moresby and Lae to the highlands and remote villages.
Even today, there is no road that goes from PM to Lae. Bringing the best talents together is a challenge.
Cricket is big in PNG these days…mainstream…they telecast PNG matches and some Australian internationals on TV.
And make no mistake, these boys have a better victory song than any AFL club and they belt it out when they win which is often nowadays
Another really important step in World Cup qualification for PNG today playing against UAE (A country with over 60% of it’s population born in the subcontinent) in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Another very interesting tournament taking place as we speak in Africa. I guess you could say that this is the second tier of African cricket with South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Namibia and Uganda being in the top tier.
LH – it is good effort by Ghana. Out of that lot, I would have thought Zambia would have been a wee bit stronger because of its Indian population. Also, I think Namibia should perform better than they do given that it has quite a large European population – mostly Afrikaners.
It was amazing that Kenya made the semi-final? of a major international competition a few years ago. I remember Steve Ticolo being a good batsman and couple of useful leg spinners being part of the side.
LH,Ark,Grassy.What about Europe.We know England and Wales.Ireland have a reasonable 50 over side.Holland did have an OK side about a decade ago.Anybody else?
Holland still good. Great domestic comp…over 90 clubs…really solid
Denmark hanging in there just but disappointing for a country that has been playing for over 100 years. Frederik Klokker, who come over and played WACA first grade, is still a star.
Italy, reasonably ranked but mainly expats.
Some decent growth is the eastern block…places like Serbia, Romania, Croatia.
Greece has been playing the game for a 100 years, mainly in Corfu, where the sport is mainstream. Some support now coming from the mainland.
Spain, loads of pom expats. Long term potential maybe.
Ireland of course are progressing at pace and are about to be granted test status.
Scotland not far behind.
Russia trying to get a foothold but unlike China, no government support yet
The grand old Dutch domestic teams…like Excelsior 20, Quick Haag, VOC Rotterdam, VRA Amsterdam, Rood En Wit, Voorburg, Sparta 1888 all still up and about
These are legendary teams…Sparta 1888…tells you all you need to know…129 years in the business
Ghana is a big surprise mate. Cricket isn’t that big there but I guess they are finding some talent amongst a small pool. Nigeria should be kicking the proverbial but as usual not the case with them. Tanzania…really good system…always kids coming through…Botswana are growing the game at pace…Ahh Namibia, well, the whites of Afrikaaner and German heritage haven’t exactly made the effort to share the game…I guess its the’yre little oasis…Zambia…always in the mix…not as big a development program as some but still around
The British army startted the game in Corfu in the nineteenth century
I have a couple of stories about two soccer internationals whom became converts of cricket:
Christian Vieri – a big centre forward – Italy. He spent his childhood in Australia during the Border era. As a result of Border’s exploits with the bat, Vieri used to list him as his sport’s hero in Italian soccer magazines. Naturally, the magazines had to do a little blurb on whom Border was
Ditmar Harmann – midfilder Germany – he got hooked from watching the Ashes series in 2005. He had a good handle on the game stressing that he apprecitted that the sport was a good mixture of team and individual play. If you made ‘0’, he notted, you knew you had failled, and so did the cricket world, no matter what the team total. Totally different to the sport of soccer, he went on to remark, where one could ‘hide’ more easilly behind the performance of the team.