Examining the potential of cricket's growth in the USA amidst a landscape dominated by traditional American sports. Monojit Lahiri investigates…

The Cricket Conundrum: Can USA Emerge as a Global Force?

Introduction

Some called it the return of Houdini. Others insisted it was a clear case of “Miracles happen for those who believe in them.” However, if most cricket-crazed fans were zonked out of their skins to see the USA – the land of Elvis, Coke, and Baseball – give A-listers a solid takkar in the recently concluded T20 World Cup, they can be forgiven and have excellent reasons to reach for their smelling salts!

The future of cricket in the USA is a hot topic following the country's surprising performance in the recent T20 World Cup. With the advent of Major League Cricket (MLC), which has attracted big international stars and significant investments from industry leaders like Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayan, cricket's popularity is on the rise. The US, with its large immigrant population and historical ties to cricket, is seen as the final frontier for the sport's global expansion. However, challenges remain in competing with traditional American sports. The ICC has identified the USA as a strategic market, aiming to accelerate cricket's growth domestically. Whether the US can become a serious force in world cricket remains a debated question, with mixed reactions from enthusiasts and experts alike. 

Ground Realities of American Sports

In the US, the top and overwhelming favourite sports are Baseball, Basketball, American Football, and Ice Hockey. That's where the howling mobs and mega-bucks reside. Then comes also-ran entrants like Martial Arts, Soccer, Rugby, and Lacrosse...last, cricket. While only the inspired delusionary frat can seriously think of cricket competing with the biggest very soon (post the T20 World Cup performance), a reality check would be in order.

Current Cricket Landscape in the USA

Reports indicate that an estimated 200,000 of the U.S. population play the sport across 400 local leagues. It adds that the strength of all cricket-playing South Asians, along with some other countries, would be around 10 million. Optimists argue that if Denmark can enjoy a successful Pro-league football with a strength of 5.5 million and Norway with 4.5 million, why can't the US successfully have one with 10 million? Besides, the country has the biggest immigrant population in the world, with India being the second biggest contributor (often Mexico) with many having British and Caribbean roots.

Major League Cricket and its Impact

The US hosting the recent World Cup wasn't a freaky accident but with a solid method behind the madness. In recent times, thanks to Major League Cricket (MLC), a T20 franchise based on the celebrated IPL, there has been a dramatic growth in its popularity. Investors into this sport include Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayan, both of Indian heritage. The league has attracted big-name international stars like Jason Roy (New England), Sunil Narine (West Indies), Trent Boult (New Zealand), and Rabada (South Africa) to name a few. Others are bound to follow.

Commercial Horizons and Strategic Growth

Further, the advent of T20 cricket has seemingly opened up new commercial horizons for the sport, with the US perceived as the final frontier to conquer. Parag Marathe, chairman of USA Cricket, stated that “the ICC consciously identified the USA as a strategic market for growth that will benefit cricket around the world,” as also allowing a fast forward of the sport at the domestic level in the US.

Historical Context and Present Enthusiasm

Before we get into polarized views, it could be interesting for the sceptics to know that the US claims to have been involved in the first-ever international match against neighbours – Canada in 1844! This was long before the clash (Hyped Ashes) between Australia and England took place in 1882. Over time, however, England's power in colonizing the rest of the world saw it export cricket to the US, but it was sometime during the American Civil War (1861-65) that Baseball became its primary sport of choice and cricket faded away, marginalized as a minor sport for a minority section of the people.

Mixed Reactions to the USA's T20 Performance

While the USA’s fantastic performance in the recent T-20 World Cup – as a nothing from nowhere to the common cricket fan – was exciting, with beating Pakistan as its biggest sock, reactions to the future of the game have been mixed. Exclaimed a delighted young Delhi-based enthusiast, “OMG, these guys are really something else! Who’d expect players coming from the land of baseball and basketball to turbocharge in such a committed manner. They may have, eventually, gone out having lost the plot due to lack of the right kind of competitive professionalism and zero exposure to playing A-listers, but with its limited exposure powered by its passion and purpose to take on the best, it really broke new grounds to scale new heights. Everything considered, this tournament definitely got them to taste blood and whet its appetite to inspire/motivate them to really make every effort to go the distance Godspeed!!”

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Scepticism and Challenges Ahead

Veteran commentator, a very respected and renowned presence in the world of sport Charu Sharma, however, is less enthusiastic. “At the cost of sounding like a kill-joy, devil’s advocate, and someone raining on your parade, some solid hard fundas may be in order. While romanticizing and getting all charged up is understandable for a section of the audience, the fact is the population of the US is about whites, blacks, and Mexicans – and none of them are remotely interested or knowledgeable about our religion! They are and remain hot and heavy with the four primary sports and not all the excited talk of the diaspora can prompt anything beyond a casual interest in cricket. As for the MLC, they can well have 400 leagues but in reality, they are about some interested Asians [Indians, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans, and Bangladeshis] getting together, locating some vague vacant ground, and playing a match. The investments from the big shot (Indian bosses of US companies) are fine, but appear nothing more than tokenism in the face of the challenge US cricket faces against the biggies. Sure, most of the US teams comprise of Asian migrants - gifted, focused, ambitious - but can they ever seriously hope to match the firepower of the A-listers with their legacy, tradition, process, vision, and roadmap? My view is, at best, the US will continue to move ahead in their own fashion, make the right noises, and even sometimes, cause the odd upset, but in the world arena, I would be very surprised if they ever positioned themselves as a threat to the biggies, anytime soon.” Touché.