USYCA membership keeps rolling along and growing

Jamie Harrison, the United States Youth Cricket Association president, said months ago that his organization would grow as it helped to promote and grow cricket from the grassroots level.

USYCA has not let the grass under its feet grow during winter as its team has grown rapidly. The most recent is the Cricket Association of Nebraska (CAN).

CAN, which sounds like a political slogan, was established last year with a charter to promote and develop the game in the Midwest region. It believes that development process must start at the grassroots level through the development of youth cricket in the local schools.

To accomplish this, CAN has promoted cricket to youth within its community through a series of demonstrations in schools and cricket camps.

In the past year CAN has organized several junior cricket camps for students at Beveridge Magnet Middle School in Omaha, Nebraska, under the guidance of a certified level II coach, Deepali Rokade.

CAN has also conducted many cricket demonstrations at multiple Magnet centers within the Omaha public schools system.

This year CAN and the Omaha Public Schools Magnet system have unveiled plans to organize a youth tournament and further expand the cricket demonstrations program in the Omaha public schools system.

 “The partnership with USYCA is a continuation of our vision to promote and market cricket to the younger generation,” said Dr. C.S. Manish, President of CAN.

 “We are very excited about the various USYCA initiatives, especially the USYCA Schools Program, which will help provide schools with the necessary equipment and resources to encourage them to add cricket to their standard curriculum. This is the best way to gain local acceptance for the sport we love.

“I would like to take this opportunity to commend Jamie Harrison and the USYCA for their enthusiasm and vision for developing cricket at the grassroots level in the United States.”

Harrison said: “USYCA is very excited to have as a member such an active and engaged organization as the Cricket Association of Nebraska.

“Building on the youth cricket foundation already there, we look forward to spreading our game throughout the region.”

In addition to the junior development program, CAN’s adult team will take part in the Heartland Cricket League as the Nebraska Cricket Club team.

The club’s youth cricket, adult cricket team, and outreach activities are funded by its members and through advertising and fund-raiser revenue from the local community in Omaha.

The club’s 2010 fund-raising activity generated revenue in excess of $9,000 for the fiscal year. This revenue was in addition to the club’s membership dues and other income streams.

Midwest Conference joins expanding USYCA

The Midwest Cricket Conference, one of the oldest and largest cricket leagues in the United States, has become an associate member of the rapidly growing United States Youth Cricket association.

The move was announced by the USYCA president, Jamie Harrison.

The Midwest Cricket Conference was established in 1965 and is made up of teams from Chicago, Peoria, Milwaukee, Madison and St. Louis. The league has grown from 12 teams in 1995 to more than 47 in 2004.

For years it has worked to introduce the game to new groups and youth and form a foundation for cricket to grow.

“To develop cricket in America and other cricket developing nations, the key is to penetrate into the grassroots levels of education,” said Shekhs Aravind, President of the Midwest Cricket Conference.

 “The game needs to be introduced in school and park districts, so that it develops into a more popular game, beyond the box of an immigrant game status. For this, each cricket league and region should work with individual cities, park districts and school districts to involve these institutions in developing interest among our youth.

“It is my dream, and a key point on my agenda, to develop the great game of cricket in this region. It’s one thing to run a cricket league for all of the interested folks in the area, but the most important point is to develop the game at the grassroots level, so that this game will be embraced by all Americans, just not the immigrants.”

“USYCA couldn’t be happier to have the Midwest Cricket Conference on board,” said USYCA President Jamie Harrison. “Shekhs and his team lead an impressive organization, representing hundreds of cricketers, and we’re honored that they have chosen to work with USYCA to take our great game to young people in the Midwest.”

Wicketkeeper Ian Carlin wins national college award and makes history

It wasn’t long ago that Ian Carlin was a running back and full back at high school and college football. At 5.10 ½ and 228 lbs he was the right size to try to run the ball through defenses.

Carlin, 22, who is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, had football in his blood and Pennsylvania is the home of National Football League Hall of Fame quarterbacks Joe Montana (San Francisco 49ers), Joe Namath (New York Jets), Jim Kelly (Buffalo Bills) and Dan Marino (Miami Dolphins).

Then about 18 months ago he began watching on TV the 20/20 cricket series between India and Pakistan with some of his south Asian friends at the College of Wooster in Ohio where he is a double major in political science and philosophy.

The game caught his eye and he became interested in playing. He was a fast learner.

In an interview with cricketusamag.com, Carlin said he began playing as a wicketkeeper “because I like being involved in the game with every ball.”

Carlin, a right hander, bats at the important No. 4 position. He quickly took to the game and has an affinity with the Australian international players because of their high quality fielding.

He has also closely watched the style of former Australian wicketkeepers Adam Gilchrist and Ian Healy.

Gilchrist recently retired after a very successful  international  and Test career with the gloves and bat.

“I like to watch Healy because he had a hard working ethic. He worked very hard and was consistently drilling,” said Carlin.

Carlin, a tireless worker himself, improved rapidly as a ‘keeper and batsman and a few weeks ago he won the inaugural John Bart King Award for the best American-born cricketer in college competition. He won it primarily for his wicketkeeping.

Winning an award is always special for all athletes, but it adds significance when he or she is the first to win it.

“I’ll be remembered in history forever,” Carlin joked.

On a more serious note he is hoping to play cricket on a national level as soon as possible and is now seeking help to get high level coaching from US men’s senior coach Clayton Lambert and assistance  from senior US Cricket Association officials, including secretary John Aarons.

USACA officials look at Carlin as a trail blazer for American cricket because he was born on US soil and most of the players are from India, Pakistan, the West Indies and cricket playing countries like Australia, England and South Africa.

The more US-born players begin playing the game the better it is for the growth and advancement of cricket in America.

Carlin said: “I like the energy and passion about the game. They are the same reasons why I like soccer. It is a game that unfolds in front of you. You can see it how it keeps evolving. It is a real to and fro in the game.”

He says he sees a future for cricket in the US in the 20/20 competition and possibly the 50-over game.

Most officials at the national level see the future of the game in limited over cricket, particularly the 20/20 competition. It is a quick flowing game with batsmen slogging at the ball and a result is always achieved.

A five-day Test match is something that has to be worked on. Right now it is on hold.

US team hurts after dismal Div Three series and seeks new recipe for success.

The United States cricket team is still bleeding and hurting after a disappointing International Cricket Conference Division Three tournament where it finished last. Its head might be bloodied, but it is not bowed, as the saying goes.

While the players are sadly reflecting on their performances in the tournament and their slide to the ICC’s Division Four, the wheels are already in motion to try to make fresh adjustments to improve the team.

US senior coach Clayton Lambert told CricketUSAmag.com in an interview that a look at the team should begin from “ground zero.”

Lambert, a former Test and first class player with the West Indies, has sent in his report to the US Cricket Association central administration. In it, he strongly suggests that the senior team and Under 19 teams, the future international players, had to improve their fielding.

He described the US fielding as sub standard and said this defensive side of the game was just as important as batting and bowling.

Lambert also said that the fitness of players had deteriorated in the past two years. He said the players usually performed well in the first day of a tournament, but on the second day “we could be taken by anybody.”

“The players were tired in the legs,” he said.

Lambert also called for more turf wickets so players, who usually perform on matting, could get used to turf pitches, which all the major cricket playing countries already play on.

“We need the experience to play on turf and to learn more about the different turf pitches,” he said.

Lambert said it was crucial that the US senior and under 19 teams had to play more against a better competition.

“We really got exposed. We went into the tournament during our off season while the others were in the middle of their season,” he said. “And we played one practice game on turf. Hopefully we will benefit more from the lesson of losing.

“It comes down to how badly the players want it. You can never prepare too much for a tournament.”

Lambert again emphasized that players had to “get cricket fit” for tournaments.

“Every time we get promoted to a higher division we face a more fierce competition.

Lambert has been involved in cricket all his life and his ideas to improve cricket in the US hit the mark and now it is up to the US central administration to make the next steps.

Even players like the experienced all-rounder Aditya Thyagarajan is thinking the same way as Lambert.

Thyagarajan was bitterly disappointed with the team’s performance and missing the opportunity to advance to Division Two and instead dropping to Division Four in the ICC.

He said in an interview with CricketUSAmag.com:  “We went into the tournament as favorites and it was very disappointing for us to finish last. Even worse for me personally to watch this from the sidelines.

“I think our batters let us down. We have time and again been in tricky situations due to the inconsistency in our lineup and this time we just couldn’t pull it off against more consistent bowling line ups.

“We need to improve on our overall game. Our focus needs to be to improve our fielding. Our bowling is good. The batsmen need to be more patient and put a price on their wicket. Teams make us work hard to get their wickets and we should be doing the same when we go out.

“From an organization stand point, we definitely need more camps, tours and friendly series with different nations. The teams which ended up on the top and are on their way to Div 2 have A teams, regular camps and tours.

“It will be interesting to see what the USA cricket administrators do to strengthen our team. We need a combination of youth and experience to be able to challenge teams and also nurture talent for the future.

“Going down to Div 4 is not the end of the world. We need to have a strong couple of years and we can come back to Div 1 in 2013. But, what I know for sure is – Div 4 and Div 3 will be extremely difficult as most countries now are very serious and are planning hard for these tournaments.”

USYCA adds United States Junior Cricket as USYCA affiliate member

The US Junior Cricket has joined the aggressively growing US Youth Cricket Association as an affiliate member; it was announced by Jamie Harrison, the USYCA president.

 The USJC has a similar as USYCA, which is to introduce cricket to children through “in school” coaching programs, to follow “in school” introduction with extracurricular coaching and opportunities for youngsters to practice in a conducive atmosphere, to encourage young cricketers to play socially and in age group regulated, local, national and international competition, to train coaches and teachers to expand the “in school” program and to to sponsor, local, national and international events for all age groups of junior cricketers

These goals also reflect what USYCA believes is necessary to grow the game among youngsters in the US.

The USJC, which began as the California Youth Cricket Development Program in 1998, has benefited from the experience of first class players like Malcolm Nash, the former captain of Glamorgan County in England, and former Indian Test cricketer Abid Ali.

“We are delighted with what USYCA has done and commend you for your great effort and vision,” said David Sentance, President of the SCCA affiliate of USJC. Sentance has been a longtime player and administrator in US cricket with a goal of improving the game in the US.

“USYCA is thrilled to be joined by an organization of such renown and history as USJC,” said Jamie Harrison, President of USYCA. “We look forward to working with USJC to spread cricket to playing fields throughout America.

 USYCA is focusing its energy on schools and youngsters to form a strong base for the game to grow just like baseball, football, hockey, basketball and soccer.

The nationals and honor dinner makes it a great time for Clayton Lambert, the US senior coach

This is the time of the year that United States senior cricket team coach Clayton Lambert just loves. It is the lead up to the national championships for the Under 19s and senior conferences.

Championship teams will be decided and national selectors and Lambert will get a chance to see some of the best players in the country. And it will help them decide on the squad to play in the International Cricket Committee World Cricket League Division Three Championship in Hong Kong from January 22 to 29 next year.

The selectors also will get another look at the youngsters before they name the squad for the ICC Americas Cup Under 19 World Cup qualifier.

The United States of America Cricket Association has announced that the junior nationals Under 19 will be played November 12, 13 and 14 at Ft. Lauderdale. The qualifying regions: Eastern Conference No 1 New York and No 2 South East. Western Conference: No 1 North West and No 2 South West.

 And the senior nationals Men’s Super League also will be played at Fort Lauderdale on November 19, 20 and 21. The qualifying regions: Eastern Conference No1 New York and No 2 Atlantic. The Western Conference No 1 South West and No 2 North West

 For Lambert it will be two weeks of top line cricket. But the weekend before the junior titles, the former international cricketer will be honored for his services to the game.

On November 13, Lambert has an appointment in New York when the Atlantis Cricket Club, a team he played with when he first arrived in the US from the West Indies, will be guest of honor at a dinner dance.

Each year the club honors a former West Indies player and over the years some of the greats of the game, including Clive Lloyd, Courtney Walsh and Joel Garner and many others, have been chosen to be feted by the Atlantis club.

“It is certainly an honor and a privilege to be on the some list as some of the great West Indies players. It is great to be recognized and I am excited by this,” Lambert said in an interview with cricketusamag.com. “I have quite a few memories from my days playing with the Atlantis club.”

Lambert, who played in seven test matches with the West Indies, league cricket in England and first class cricket in the West Indies and South Africa, has been the senior US team coach on a tournament basis, but recently he has become more involved with the players by helping them with their game, talking about disciplined and improving their technique.

He says he would like to see some of the senior players, including the promising Ryan Corns, to get specialized training before the ICC tournament in Hong Kong. Corns, a promising top order batsman, may need help with his slow bowling.

But Lambert, 48, understands the economic climate as the US slowly pulls out of a long and deep recession and the logistical problems of getting players together at one venue from all over the country.

Lambert will be honored at the Atlantis Cricket Club of New York Awards Dinner Dance on November 13 at John F. Kennedy Plaza Hotel, 151-20 Baisley Blvd., Jamaica, NY 11434. Music will be provided by DJ Flexx.

 Meanwhile, US senior team fast bowler and No 8 batsman Timroy Allen, who damaged a muscle around his armpit area while diving for the ball during the ICC tournament in Italy, is expected to be fit for the trip to Hong Kong.

Farokh Engineer, flamboyant, dashing, aggressive from days gone by talks cricket

In his day, Farokh Engineer, arguably one of India’s greatest wicketkeeper/batsmen, was described as dashing, flamboyant, aggressive and a self taught cricketer. He could play with the best of them and at the end of the day he could walk off the field with his head held high.

He has been compared with Australia’s legendary all-rounder Keith Miller and England’s great batsman Denis Compton because of the way he played the game.

Engineer, 72, is vice president of the Lancashire County Cricket Club and lives in Manchester, England. He is now visiting Detroit and Houston for speaking engagements, helping charities, and an opportunity to visit his daughter in Miami, Florida.

In an interview with cricketusamag.com, the former right hand opening batsman/wicketkeeper, likes what he sees as the game tries to expand in the United States and climb the International Cricket Committee ladder to play against the best countries in the world.

“There is a lot of keenness here. I think there is scope for 20/20 and one day cricket,” he said. “There is room for that type of cricket and it seems popular with the fans. Under the right conditions, I can see the game growing if you get TV involved and sponsorship.”

After many visits to the US Engineer can see and feel the interest in the game, but he also understands the economic climate as the country slowly eases out of a deep financial recession.

He also understands how the cricketers in the US play for the love of the game and as an honor to represent America at international level. He did the same when he began his 46 Tests career.

He recalled how he was paid 250 rupees to play in a Test match. In today’s professional level, that amount of money would not buy a round of drinks after a day’s play.

Engineer scored 2,611 runs with three not outs in 87 innings while representing India in Tests for an average of 31.08. He scored three centuries, 16 50s, and as a wicketkeeper he took 66 catches and 16 stumpings.

In the early 1970s his performance behind the stumps and as a batsmen were rewarded when he was named as the wicketkeeper for the Rest of the World XI series in England and Australia. He was solidly built, but he had excellent reflexes and often stood up at the wicket to fast bowlers, just like he did with spinners.

He played in an era, which produced some of the game’s greatest player like Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thomson, Ian and Greg Chappell, Wes Hall, Charles Griffith, Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Viv Richards and Lance Gibbs,  among many others.

He was also a crowd pleaser with the bat,

On the first day of a Test match against the West Indies in Madras in 1966-67, Engineer opened the innings and hammered 94 runs in the first session in what he says was “a green top wicket.”

The first ball he faced after lunch from Gibbs, an off spinner, he straight drove the ball for a six to reach his century off just 44 deliveries.

“When I hit the six, the ball just kept going. I think it is still going,” he joked. “I don’t think they ever found the ball.”

The swashbuckling innings is still talked about by old timers and is very much a part of Test cricket folklore.

“It was a great era that I played in,” said Engineer, adding that he never worried about his batting average. It was all about winning.

His success at Test level is all the more interesting because he says he was never taught how to keep wickets or bat. “There were no training manuals then,” he said.

Engineer described himself as an aggressive wicketkeeper who “always went for any chances” offered by the batsmen. His style delighted the fans and drew respect from teammates and opponents.

As a young player he based his wicketkeeping style on Godfrey Evans, the great English ‘keeper. He watched him on film and followed the way he played.

“I learned from experience. A wicketkeeper needs to have a sixth sense and natural reflexes like a goalie in soccer or hockey,” he said.

Engineer kept wickets for India’s legendary slow bowlers Bedi, Prasanna, Chandrasekhar, who overcame polio to play the game at the highest levels, and Venkataraghavan.

“I enjoyed ‘keeping to spinners,” he said. “I had a very good rapport and understanding with Chandrasekhar. We worked together well discussing tactics.

“He was a great bowler. He was a freak and could bowl up to 80 MPH, the ball turned viciously and batsmen could not pick him. He was hard to pick, but I picked him every time.

“He was such a difficult spinner to read that 30 to 40 percent of the time I don’t think even he knew which way the ball was going to turn.”

Engineer also was comfortable with fast bowlers when he joined Lancashire and he was the gloveman for Brian Statham, Ken Shuttleworth, Peter Lever and Ken Higgs.

Engineer, a strongly built man, was not afraid of the workload after spending all day in the field to open the innings in a time when there were no restrictions to the number of bouncers bowled and protective helmets had not yet been introduced.

In fact, he says, he enjoyed the challenge of facing some of the world’s all-time great fast bowlers like Hall and Griffith. “I loved the ball coming at me at me at 100 MPH and leaving the bat at 500 MPH,” he said.

When asked about the allegations about match fixing, he said: “If it is true, then it is disgraceful and distasteful. It is harming the wonderful game of cricket. There is no space for this type of rubbish.

“The ICC has not been firm enough in this. It has pussy footed around it. The ICC should become a lot firmer about this and throw them out, if it is true.

“I feel sorry for the younger players, who may have been used by the older players.”

Engineer has a lot of stories and thoughts about cricket; unfortunately time was against him speaking longer. But like a great actor on Broadway he left us waiting for more. Hopefully, there will be another time.

Ryan Corns shows “Dramatic Improvement” in Nationals after changing his batting stance

Ryan Corns, who showed dramatic improvement at the United States national cricket championships in Los Angeles, which included a blazing 119 off just 77 deliveries, believes his new found form comes down to a new batting stance.

Corns, 20, who plays with the Memorial Cricket Club in the Houston League and represented the Central West Region in the national titles, said he changed his stance in May after he had watched New Zealand batsmen Peter Ingram and Ross Taylor Online.

Both batsmen used the wide stance technique and Corns thought he might try the same.

He did and it has worked for him.

“I was watching them play against Australia,” Corns said in an interview with cricketusamag.com. “It has helped my balance, before I used to fall over a lot while batting. It has also taken the stress off my lower back and it has relieved me of the pain.”

 file pic: courtesy ICC

Corns, a Business and Administration student at Houston Community College, said his batting had now   improved a lot and he had become more consistent.

Before he changed his batting stance, he used to place the bat behind his back foot. Now he positions the bat between his feet.

“My balance has improved tremendously,” said Corns.

In the national tournament, the right hand batsman hammered 152 in three innings with a highest score of 119 in the match against the North West Region and an average of just over 50.

Corns’ performance with the bat caught the eye of many, including US senior coach Clayton Lambert, who described his overall performance in Atlanta as: “I was amazed with his improvement. I am very happy with the way he has progressed.

“He has made a significant step up since the last time I saw him bat.”

Lambert said that Corns’ batting was of “a high quality” and added: “He has developed a lot of power, is striking the ball to all parts of the field and is hitting the ball off his front and back foot.”

Corns, who was born in South Africa, is now too old for the Under 19 national team. Asked if he felt the national selectors might name him to the senior squad, he replied: “I believe I am ready for the national side.”

While his batting probably impressed the national selectors, who are expected to name the US senior squad in November for the International Cricket Committee Division Three tournament in Hong Kong in January, his left arm spin bowling may need to improve before he gets the nod to join US senior captain Steve Massiah and the rest of the team.

Corns is focusing on his batting, but he is also aware that he might need to work more on his spin bowling. And he says he will look for help and guidance from Jermaine Levine, his Memorial Cricket Club teammate and friend.

Levine is also a left arm slow bowler and he has helped Corns in the past.

The New York Region won the Eastern Conference championship while the South West Region captured the Western Conference title. The two will battle for the national championship in either Florida or California in November.

Masood the quiet man in cricket is selected in Hall of Fame.

Masood Syed is a quiet man who loves his cricket and has been a part of the game in the United States for almost 40 years. His resume is long and impressive, both as a player and administrator.
 
Two years ago the retired physiotherapist was one of five Americans to be awarded an International Cricket Council medal of honor in the ICC’s centenary celebrations.
 
Now Syed, 65, who lives in Glendale Heights, a Chicago suburb, has been chosen to be inducted into the Cricket Hall of Fame by Hartford (Connecticut) Cricket Hall of Fame, a division of the Sportsmen’s Athletic Club.
 
The Cricket Hall of Fame recognizes the contributions of the game’s all time great players and administrators for their contributions to the game.
 
Syed joins legendary international inductees like Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Frank Worrell, Sir Clyde Walcott, Sunil Gavaskar, Farokh Engineer, Greg Chappell, Bhagwat Chandrasekar, Alvin Kallicharran, Sir Everton Weekes, Sir Conrad Hunte, Sir Vivian Richards, Gundappa Viswanath, Clive Lloyd, Chetan Chauhan, Michael Holding and others.
 
In an interview with cricketusamag.com, Syed said: “I feel very proud to have my name between all of them. That’s unbelievable. I can’t even dream that I am up there with all those greats.”
 
As usual, Syed was genuinely humble. He is a man of few words and does not like talking about himself or his long list of achievements in cricket.
 
He really has been a force in the growth of cricket in the US. For example, when he became involved in cricket in Chicago in 1972 soon after moving to the United States there were about 12 clubs. Now there are about 170 and he has helped the Central East Region have the highest paid membership in the United States of America Cricket Association.
 
But that is just the tip of an iceberg.
 
Syed has been a USACA board member representing the Central East Region since 1984 and he plans to seek re-election next year and, if successful, step aside at the end of his term.

This quietly-spoken man looks after himself physically and has competed in 12 Chicago marathons for a personal best time of three hours and 34 minutes.
 
And he is also involved in charities. Over the years, he and his family have helped those in need in Karachi, Pakistan, and in Bosnia after the civil war in the old Yugoslavia.
 
While there is more to Syed, who was born in Delhi, India, than cricket, it is the game that he really loves. After independence, his family moved to Pakistan in 1948 and he grew up in Karachi where he played in the inter collegiate competition with DJ College under captain Sallah uddin Ballea and former Test player Nasim ul Ghani.
 
In 1967 he got the chance of a lifetime when he was named to play with the Pakistan Central Zone in a match in Sailkot against a Commonwealth X1 led by Australian all-rounder and captain Richie Benaud.
 
In an unforgettable moment, he ran out Benaud at the bowler’s end with a throw from cover after he had scored a few runs. Syed obviously enjoyed the dismissal, but not everyone saw it that way.
He said: “I remember him giving me a look, like: Who are you?”
 
During the lunch break, Syed recalled, a fan voiced his disapproval by saying: “I have come all this way with my family to watch him bat and you run him out!”
 
As a young batsman and occasional slow bowler, Syed was no slouch. He was an admirer of the great Hanif Mohammed, the former Pakistan captain and Hall of Fame member.
 
Syed’s best score in first class cricket was 116 for Karachi against Bhwal in the Qaid-e-Azam Trophy competition. In 33 first class matches in Pakistan he scored 1,408 runs, including seven not outs, in 49 innings for an average of 33.52.
 
He also scored three centuries and five 50s.
 
He first began playing in the US with the Chicago Falcons in the old United Cricket Conference. In 1976  he played for the US against Canada and he and the late Don Weekes, of California, put on an 87-run partnership to set up victory.
 
Syed was elected vice president of USACA in 1987 and then president from 1996 to 1999 during a chaotic time when the US Cricket Federation was formed and claimed to the ICC that it had more members. Under instructions from the ICC, USACA was told to design a new constitution and hold an election and the two bodies decided to amalgamate.
 
As a USACA board member he has formed a close relationship with USACA President Gladstone Dainty and the two work as team for the improvement of cricket in the US.
 
Syed administration achievements also include being the Central East Region director in 2000, 2002 and 2004.
 
From 2000 to 2004 he was chairman of the US national selectors. Syed helped select the team which won the Americas Cup in Argentina in 2002 and then success followed in the 2003 Six Nation tournament in Dubai and the US became the first ICC associates member to play in the 2004 Champions Trophy.
 
It was an historic occasion, but in the Champions Trophy, the US played in two games against Australia and New Zealand and lost both times.
 
Syed says the introduction of the 20/20 competition is the way for the game to grow in the US and get Americans interested.
 
He says that the foundations set up by the USACA board will see cricket expand and one day to compete in Test matches

US and India women teams in tug of war over 15-year-old girl

Shebani Bhaskar is just 15, but already she has become involved in a tug of war between the United States and India women cricket teams.

The talented youngster, who is also a handy tight arm medium pace swing bowler, has been in the sights of US senior women’s team coach Linden Fraser for several months.

Fraser believes Shebani should be representing the US even though she is still in high school.

But there is a problem with her wearing the US team’s colors. The India women’s team also wants her services.

Fraser told cricketusamag.com in an interview that Shebani is a US citizen and should be allowed to play for the red, white and blue.

He recently called her in India where she is a student and living with her family.
Shebani said in an email to cricketusamag.com that the India women’s team has not said they will not allow her to play for the US, but that the local cricket body had said there were procedures to follow.

“Shebani was born in the US and she should be allowed to play for the US women’s team,” said Fraser. “I called her to try to get her to play for the US team.”
Fraser described Shebani as a “very good player, who was good enough to play for the US team.”

He said she had the ability to play in one of the top five batting spots for the national team, which is a huge compliment for such a young player, who already has a very promising career.

Fraser has said that he would encourage the national selectors to seriously consider naming Shebani in the national senior team squad when it is chosen for next year’s qualifying tournament in Bangladesh for the 2012 World Cup in India.
He believes the 15-year-old is one of the brightest hopes for the future of US women’s cricket.

Fraser has met Shebani and has also watched her play on video.

He said Shebani recently scored 103, including 15 fours, of her team’s 181 total in a recent game in Tamil Nadu in India where she plays in an Under 17 competition.
Several years ago Shebani’s family decided to leave the US and move back to India. In June last year Shebani and her family visited friends in the US and at the time she met Fraser.

While visiting, Fraser said, she represented the North East Region in the women’s national tournament in California.

Fraser is still on a high after the US women senior team’s recent three victories against Canada in 50 over contests to qualify for next year’s tournament.

He believes the US team will be stronger and the future brighter if Shebani is allowed to represent her country. Whether she does is something that has to be decided.

Fraser said he has not given up and is still working on getting Shebani in US colors.

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