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“Cricket in America is starting to grow”, says US Cricketer Cory Anderson
Anderson also highlighted the importance of his team’s performance in the World Cup as a significant factor contributing to the increasing interest in the sport in a nation that majorly follows baseball.
Cory Anderson and Ajay Jain Bhutoria / Image- New India Abroad
The United States has the potential to become a powerhouse of the sport in the next decade, according to US national cricket team player Cory Anderson, who believes that cricket in America is on the rise.
In a chat with community leader Ajay Jain Bhutoria, Anderson expressed optimism for the future of cricket in the United States, which recently hosted its first ever ICC tournament, the T20 Men’s World Cup. "As a cricket fan, it's huge to know that cricket in America is starting to grow and it could hopefully becoming one of the powerhouses of cricket at some point in the next 5-10 years," the cricketer said.
Anderson also highlighted the importance of his team’s performance in the World Cup as a significant factor contributing to the increasing interest in the sport in a nation that majorly follows baseball.
"The good thing is now we've had a successful World Cup in terms of what we put our line in the sand with. The World Cup in 2026 is obviously really exciting and then in the Olympics. So there's a four-year cycle that we've got a lot of cricket going on. It's extremely exciting to be part of that," he stated.
Cricket will be played at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, making its return to the Olympics after a long absence of 128 years since its brief appearance in the 1900 Paris Games.
“Hopefully it's a period where we can strike while the iron is hot and get more people involved with cricket and more people watching cricket. So this is kind of the big stepping stone and hopefully we can make a huge leap in the next couple of years as well," he added.
Bhutoria noted the game's expanding fan base in the US. "The game we've demonstrated has excited the fans in the US, not just the traditional fans from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka. I think it's becoming mainstream now," he said.
Anderson concurred, emphasizing the significance of educational institutions. "Exactly, I think it's a big part of trying to grow the game here. If we can get it to schools, obviously and keep growing that," he said. He also emphasized the importance of media exposure in building interest. "It's been on more media platforms than what it usually is. So again, all of it is starting to trend in the right direction," he remarked.
Looking forward, Anderson expressed hope that the upcoming season of the Major League Cricket would further boost the sport's profile. "Hopefully with Major League this month as well, it can uplift it again and the eyes that have watched the World Cup can now focus on the Major League. Again, keep their curiosity alive and want to watch more cricket as well," he said.
The interview video was provided by community leader Ajay Jain Bhutoria.
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