USA’s cricket team pad up for a giant step forward

Leeds United may be enduring a miserable December, but on Wednesday night, at one of world cricket’s most unlikely outposts, the club’s vice chairman can afford himself a smile as the USA’s cricket team take a giant step forward.

Central Broward Park in Lauderhill will play host to two ODIs and three T20 internationals over the Christmas period, as Ireland’s team swap traditional festive celebrations for a trans-Atlantic adventure that could usher in a new era for cricket in the country.

The ICC will be watching on intently, fervently hoping that the sport can take hold and open up a whole new world of financial opportunities.

As will Paraag Marathe, the chairman of USA Cricket and vice chairman of Leeds United for the past 12 months. And regardless of what happens on the pitch in Florida, it’s likely to provide some light relief from the turmoil at Elland Road.

That said, the odds of a fledgling USA side turning over Ireland are as remote as Marcelo Bielsa’s side getting anything out of their Boxing Day clash with Liverpool at Anfield.

It’s not the result, though, that’s significant. It’s the fact that the USA are welcoming an ICC full member nation for a tour for the first time that makes this series so critical in the development of cricket in a country that played its first international match 177 years ago.

It has taken almost 200 years to catch on, but Thomas Dunmore, Major League Cricket’s VP of marketing, believes the visit of Ireland has the potential to ratchet the pace of change up a notch or two.

“This is a huge week,” he says. “Because of the huge South Asian and Caribbean population in the US, there are a lot of fans of cricket here. It sounds crazy, but there are probably more cricket fans here than in almost any other country in the world.

“They grew up playing the sport and now their kids are playing cricket too. Players are now getting opportunities for development that just weren’t there before.

“We’re developing Minor League Cricket academies across the country so the younger guys are getting experience of competition that wasn’t possible in the past too.

“They’re playing alongside professionals in Minor League Cricket and getting more experience at a younger age. The homegrown level of cricket is really rising and I think you’ll really see that continuing over the next decade.”

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Ireland will use the five-game trip as a warm-up for their tour of the West Indies in the New Year, but for the USA, it offers a priceless opportunity to measure the progress they’ve made in recent years.

Currently ranked 18th in the world in 50 over cricket and a lowly 30th in the shortest format, there’s still clearly huge room for improvement on the pitch.

Off it, however, 2021 has already been a seismic year for the sport, with the first edition of the country’s Minor League Cricket competition kicking off in July. England’s World Cup winner, Liam Plunkett, will take part in the competition next year before becoming one of the star names in the USA’s proposed fully professional T20 league, involving six franchises from across the country.

“Liam is here for the long-term,” says Dunmore. “He’s going to play Minor League Cricket for the Philadelphians in the area where his wife is from. He’ll play in Major League Cricket when we launch that too and will be a marquee player in that tournament.

“He’s also going to coach over here, helping youngsters and helping to grow the sport. He’s very committed to that. We’ve also brought over players like Corey Anderson from New Zealand – top class international players who are committed to coming to the US and helping to build cricket.”

Having got their house in order domestically – not before time some would argue – the country are also making strides on the international stage too. Largely thanks to the likes of Saurabh Netravalkar, a former India under-19 left-armer who played in the 2010 World Cup alongside the likes of KL Rahul, and turned out against an England side containing the likes of Joe Root and Ben Stokes.

“We would love to follow the journey of teams like Ireland,” he says. “Most of us have other jobs. We’re partially contracted but going from semi-professional to professional is the next big step. The infrastructure is growing and improving.

“There’s some upcoming talent in this side, we’ve gained ODI status and everything is coming together. It’s going to be a great test to come up against Ireland. I’m a software engineer at Oracle and I’m passionate about both. Both are a good distraction from each other.”

He'll have his mind fully focused on Ireland over the coming week as the USA look to build on a year of solid achievement.

The men’s and women’s teams also made it through the regional qualifiers for next winter’s T20 World Cup and will head to Zimbabwe in July in an attempt to make it to a first global tournament in Australia.

Although as co-host of the 2024 T20 World Cup with the West Indies, it’s still unclear whether the USA will qualify automatically for the tournament. The ICC are expected to clarify that situation soon.

In the meantime, the visit of Ireland offers a window into the country’s cricket immediate future. After playing their first match against Canada in 1844, the ICC will hope it’s worth the wait.