Cricket has launched into the spotlight in recent weeks across the United States thanks to the unexpected success of Team USA during the T20 World Cup , including a historic win over Pakistan. That success is no surprise to those who both follow and play the sport in Minnesota.
“There’s been growth nationally,” said Nick Beecher with Eka Sport and Minnesota Youth Cricket Academy in Minnetonka. “I think it’s growing locally. There’s more interest from school districts and parks and rec departments in their community education or athletic programming.”
Eka Sport opened Minnesota’s first indoor cricket facility last year, which has transformed how athletes practice and participate in the sport.
“We’ve trained in baseball batting cages, which are pretty similar to this, but it doesn’t meet the same needs like the length requirement for cricket,” said Param Patel, a senior at Wayzata High School. “Having this facility, we can come in when it’s snowing outside in the winter, which helps us when we go up against teams like Texas or Atlanta who can player year-around. Even though it may seem like a small, little place with three lanes. It’s been such a big help.”
Patel joined Taha Farooqi, a rising sophomore at the University of Minnesota, in showing WCCO Radio’s Mark Freie the ins-and-outs of cricket at the indoor training facility.
Both have experience playing the world’s second most popular sport at the national level.
“My dad emigrated from Pakistan to the United States and he brought in that culture of cricket with him,” Farooqi said. “I’d see all of his friends for the big matches, World Cup matches, come and the electric energy with everybody watching and grouping together.”
Both compared cricket to baseball, but were quick to spotlight the stark differences between the two.
For instance, the bowler (think pitcher in baseball) bowls the hard ball towards the batsman who bats, until they’re out.
“If you get a strikeout in baseball you won’t see celebrations across the mound because you know that batter is a deadly batter and they can come back,” Farooqi said. “In cricket, if you get a key player out on the first ball, they’re done batting for the day. That’s why you see big celebrations after every wicket, or what most would say is a strikeout. There’s a lot of pressure on the batsman.”
That pressure is felt by Patel, who is a batsman.
“You keep batting until you get out and once you get out, you’re done,” he said. “You need to make sure you don’t get out. You could be playing a game for the whole day, and if you get out on the first ball of the day, you’d be playing in the field and wouldn’t get to bat again.”
Patel’s love for the game also stems from his father.
“When my dad moved from India to the United States, he used to play a lot of cricket here. That’s how I kind of grew up,” Patel said. “I grew up around him playing cricket, playing and practicing with him.”
Cricket’s growing popularity is being felt by the two young athletes.
“I’ve got a lot of friends messaging me about the USA’s success and wanting to watch because of that,” Farooqi said. “There’s definitely a big interest in cricket right now.”
Eka Sports and the Minnesota Youth Cricket Academy hope to capitalize on the growth.
“Now we have our youth and young players that see a pathway for themselves,” Beecher said. “They see a destination where this sports, teammates, skills, and comradery they’ve built can lead to somewhere.”
While the USA’s fate in the World Cup remains unknown, Patel hopes to write his own story within the sport.
“Last years I played under 17 representing the Midwest region. So I think it’s pretty cool how we’ve been playing at the same type of level that we’ve seen some of these players that we’ve played against, they’re playing against international players on TV. We’ve trained with and played against some of these guys before.”
Farooqi made the Midwest US Men’s National Team training squad.
“Due to age and factors, it’s a little difficult to make a World Cup squad. But I have a good four or five years in me. Just knowing that pathway’s available to me to possibly represent my country. I feel like it’s an honor and immense pride. That’s my goal is to one day represent my country.”
Eka Sports is offering anyone a free chance to try cricket out at their facility.
They’ll also host a watch party for Friday’s match-up between USA and West Indies schedule for 7:30 p.m.
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