Although Mitt Romney’s bid to be the president of the United States of America ended in failure, his campaign slogan was so very true; “The World Needs A Strong America.” This is true on a whole host of levels, political, social, financial and well beyond these.
For my family the world needs a strong America, for my safety the world needs a strong America and for the game I love; cricket, the world needs a cricket strong America.
You see, as cricket interest globally has risen with the advent of “user-friendly” T20 tournaments, the global cricketing fire is well short of becoming a blaze. The game of cricket may have nurdled its way into the hearts of new fans but it is yet to burst into the fervour of the masses. For this, the game of cricket needs, the marketing prowess and professional sports ingenuity that the USA and it’s broadcasters offer.
When it comes to cricket development on a global spectrum, one asks the question what has the world’s governing body, the ICC done to grow the global game. In particular what has the ICC done to grow the global game in the USA?
Not very much. Talks of a prestigious T20 tournament to ignite the fan flames were exactly that; talks. And while the ICC has been reluctant to step in and resolve the mismanagement bungle which is the USACA, it seems clear to all and sundry that the ICC is quite content on milking the expatriate USA cricket fan, with the udders of their full member cash-cows.
Words like ‘grassroots’ and ‘upward progress’ are common among USACA and ICC officials regarding the growth of cricket in America, these concepts are hardly tangible when there is little being done to sew the grassroots seeds in the schools of the American public.
Perhaps, it is brash to burden the blame at the BCCI buffered door of the ICC, yet as Jamie Harrison CEO of the American Cricket Federation openly points out, the current governance at the USACA “have proven themselves incapable of establishing cricket as an American sport.”
As head of the USA Youth Cricket Association and now the American Cricket Federation, has a mission statement to inspire Americans to get involved with cricket. Yet, more than a mission statement they have a sturdy plan of implementing this plan through introducing cricket on a school level. It’s not a plan that they aim to implement but it’s a plan that they have implemented to great effect.
The ICC seems to be at ease with the constant monotony of bilateral series with little context between their full member nations. It is most probably a safe travelled road, cash comes in and the game goes on. A cricket strong America is an acceleration, unlike any other. Ask the Barclay’s Premier league what NBC prime sports time can do for you. The American Cricket Federation is the juggernaut for a cricket strong America, it is time the ICC hopped on board.
Original article.
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