Cricket needs to become a global sport, America is a step forward says Sachin Tendulkar
Indian maestro Sachin Tendulkar along with fellow cricket legend Shane Warne announced a 10 day, three-city cricket all-star exhibition tour of the United States in November, in partnership with U.S. sports marketing company Leverage Agency. The Indian legend will extensively work to develop the sport in the country throughout the tour.
“You’ll only learn things if you give them a try. Americans are used to watching baseball, and it’s very similar to that. If Americans can start coming to the stadium, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them following cricket from here on.” Tendulkar told Time Magazine.
Tendulkar and Warne, both retired from the game in 2013, will each captain a team consisting of some of the best international players of the past 35 years. Three 20-20 matches are scheduled to be played in U.S. baseball stadiums: New York’s Citi Field on Nov. 7, Houston’s Minute Maid Park on Nov. 11, and Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Nov. 14 featuring the cricket stars.
Some of the confirmed players who would take part in this tour are Pakistan’s Wasim Akram, South Africa’s Shaun Pollock, Brian Lara of Trinidad and Tobago and Mahela Jayawardene of Sri Lanka. The players will also conduct cricket clinics to make the sport popular among Americans.
A sport like cricket has very poor presence in America and the travelling stars are hoping to attract more fans in the country. Currently America’s cricket fan base is 15 million as estimated among which a large part is in places like New York and Washington, D.C., mainly among immigrants from the West Indies and South Asia.
“America will be curious to see what it’s like to experience the game of cricket. What’s all the fuss about? Why is it the second most popular game in the world? What’s so special about this game?” Australian legend Shane Warne another star attraction of the tour, said to the Time Magazine
Previously soccer has been successful in getting popularity with several top soccer clubs from Europe, like Manchester United, Chelsea, Barcelona, playing in the U.S in recent times. The organizers of this all-star tour are expecting to achieve the same feat with cricket.
“People are starving for a big cricket event like this,” says Ben Sturner who is the CEO of Leverage Agency, which is producing the tour, to Time magazine.