Minor League Cricket announced plans for future Canadian expansion last month and league officials stated that they are taking a serious look at Abbotsford and other markets in British Columbia.
The MiLC is known as North America91裸聊视频檚 top development league in the sport and is a feeder system to Major League Cricket 91裸聊视频� North America91裸聊视频檚 top cricket league that was founded in 2019 but began play this month.
MLC consists of six big market teams in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Texas and Washington. A sell-out crowd of over 7,000 watched the Texas Super Kings beat the Los Angeles Knight Riders by 69 runs (181-112) in the league91裸聊视频檚 inaugural game on July 13.
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91裸聊视频� Major League Cricket (@MLCricket)
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Cricket is the world91裸聊视频檚 second most-watched sport behind soccer, but has struggled to build popularity in North America. The MLC and MiLC are a $120 million investment from multiple groups to launch the sport back to the continent in a big way. Key investors include Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Ross Perot Jr., Anand Rajaraman (Amazon) and Shantanu Narayen (Adobe Inc.).
The sport came to North American through the British and was Canada91裸聊视频檚 most popular sport until the early-20th Century. In fact, the very first-ever cricket international match occurred in 1844 between clubs from Toronto and New York. Canadian prime minister John A. MacDonald even declared cricket to be Canada91裸聊视频檚 first official sport in 1867.
Cricket Canada President Rashpal Bajwa re-elected as Associate Member representative in the Chief Executives91裸聊视频� Committee following a vote at the ICC Annual Conference on Monday.
91裸聊视频� Cricket Canada (@canadiancricket)
Cricket Canada was established as the country91裸聊视频檚 governing body for the sport in 1892 and the British Columbia Mainland Cricket League 91裸聊视频� which still exists today and has teams from Abbotsford 91裸聊视频� was founded in 1914. It is one of the oldest sporting leagues still competing in the country.
The popularity of baseball, hockey and other sports led to a decline in interest for cricket. However, the sport is massively popular in India, Pakistan, Australia, South Africa and parts of Europe.
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Canada has gone on to compete in the 1979, 2003 and 2007 Cricket World Cups hosted by the International Cricket Council.
The MiLC began play in July of 2021 with 27 teams across the United States. The Silicon Valley Strikers beat the New Jersey Stallion in the final, which was played in North Carolina. The 2022 season saw 26 teams compete and the Seattle Thunderbolts earned the league title. The 2023 season begins in August.
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91裸聊视频� Cricket Canada (@canadiancricket)
"Minor League Cricket (MiLC) to partner with Cricket Canada and Boundaries North to identify ownership groups for future seasons in key Canadian Markets.
Full details here 馃憠
Cricket Canada and Boundaries North have partnered with the MiLC to identify potential ownership groups and communities to establish Minor League Cricket teams across Canada as early as 2024.
91裸聊视频淚n a short time, Minor League Cricket has proven to be a key development ground for North American cricket players,91裸聊视频� stated Rashpal Bajwa, President of Cricket Canada. 91裸聊视频淭he league can have an immediate impact on our passionate Canadian market, engaging new fans and providing aspiring Canadian cricketers with enhanced opportunities to showcase their talent on a larger stage.91裸聊视频�
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91裸聊视频� Minor League Cricket (@MiLCricket)
Cricket Canada is headquartered in Toronto, so it91裸聊视频檚 likely that Ontario will be a major focus for expansion. However, Rahul Srinivasan, CEO of Boundaries North, stated that the Lower Mainland will also be considered.
91裸聊视频淭he BCMCL generates a ton of great talent,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淚 think we look at communities where there is thriving cricket, so the Surrey, Burnaby and greater Vancouver area has a really great cricket scene. In terms of participation a place like Abbotsford could also have a big impact.91裸聊视频�
Srinivasan admitted that the lack of available pitches will be a challenge for some places in British Columbia, but that the possibility of an MiLC team may increase the chances of that infrastructure to get built.
91裸聊视频淔or MiLC we are looking at where does it make sense for these pitches and who can get behind them with investments and improved infrastructure,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淲e need a fairly sophisticated and professional facility to play with four to six television streams and everything else.91裸聊视频�
He said many American MiLC markets used a hybrid wicket, which created a less-capital intensive pitch. But the investments need to be made at the private or public level to make it possible. The Abbotsford teams in the BCMCL play at Exhibition Park. Other BCMCL teams91裸聊视频� home venues include: Coquitlam91裸聊视频檚 Mackie Park, Kelowna91裸聊视频檚 Parkinson Recreation Area, Vancouver91裸聊视频檚 Connaught Park, Richmond91裸聊视频檚 Minoru Park and Vancouver91裸聊视频檚 Hugo Ray Park.
Both Brockton Point in Vancouver and Beacon Hill Park in Victoria also have historical cricket grounds. Toronto has the only internationally recognized grounds in the country.
Srinivasan added that he believes a community like Abbotsford could really rally around the identity of a minor league team and noted that one of the MiLC91裸聊视频檚 biggest success stories is in Morrisville, North Carolina. He added that the MiLC is also looking at markets such as Victoria, Kamloops and Kelowna.
91裸聊视频淏ritish Columbia is massively important to us and I would say there are no markets that have been crossed out,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淐ricket popularity is going to continue to grow in this country with our thriving communities of South Asian and Caribbean peoples. So I think naturally that demand is going to grow.91裸聊视频�
He said the ultimate goal behind the expansion is to grow the sport in Canada and build the national team 91裸聊视频� on the men91裸聊视频檚 and women91裸聊视频檚 sides 91裸聊视频� back up.
91裸聊视频淲e have amazing participation in Canada and I think with the right infrastructure, right programming and right level of support we could begin the early stages of a renaissance here,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淗aving these teams and leagues funnel talent to our national teams is what we want here and this could be a pathway to get us back onto the international stage.91裸聊视频�
Srinivasan said he believes teams could be in place as early as next summer.
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91裸聊视频� Cricket Canada (@canadiancricket)
91裸聊视频淐anada has a strong cricketing tradition, a diverse and multicultural population, and a growing interest in the sport. Having a viable development league in Canada will be key to unearthing talented Canadian cricketers, providing them with structured pathways for development, and ultimately contribute to the growth of the sport at many levels,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淲e are looking forward to meeting with key private, public and industry leaders who share our passion for adding strategic initiatives across the Canadian cricketing ecosystem.91裸聊视频�
For more information, including further details on the process for ownership group identification, contact info@canadaboundaries.ca.
