- Title: USA: CRICKET - New York City police launch youth cricket league
- Date: 3rd August 2008
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) HASSAN TUFAIL, CAPTAIN OF "PAK BRIGHTON" SAYING "I assure that we're confident, we're really high. We have a strong team, we've got a really, really good strong team right now. All the bowlers and batsmen are in really good shape, so, we have a high chance." CAPTAIN OF "PUNJAB", BILAL AHMAD, BOWLING
- Embargoed: 18th August 2008 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Usa
- Country: USA
- Topics: Sports
- Reuters ID: LVA5I0AZJHE7H5IHETYXZNFL2XWI
- Story Text: It may seem as if this cricket match is taking place in India or the Caribbean, but these players are part of a new league in Brooklyn, New York.
New York Police Commissioner, Raymond Kelly introduced the Twenty20 league on Wednesday (July 30) with the first match between "Pak Brighton" and "Punjab".
The league, comprising 6 teams, is open to players between the ages of 14 and 19 and most of them are ethnically south Asian, from Pakistan, India or Bangladesh. Other players are from Caribbean cricket-playing nations, like Jamaica and Trinidad.
Hassan Tufail, captain of "Pak Brighton" is confident that his team will win the league.
"We're we're really high. We have a strong team, we've got a really, really good strong team right now. All the bowlers and batsmen are in really good shape, so, we have a high chance," he said.
Cricket is not widely played in the U.S. and is most similar to the popular sport of baseball. But baseball is just not cricket! Bilal Ahmad, captain of "Punjab", agrees. He used to play baseball.
"I did, but I didn't want to, because I was good at cricket, and so they didn't have it a that time," he explained.
Many of the players are Muslim. Reuters asked Commissioner Raymond Kelly whether the league is a way for the NYPD to try and build trust in Muslim-America communities.
"I think we have a strong relationship with the Muslim community in New York. I visit mosques on a regular basis, we have a lot of communication and this is a continuing effort to strengthen our relationship with all communities," he said.
The NYPD Twenty20 league runs through July and most of August, ending with a championship match on August 20. The six teams in the league are "Pak Brighton", "Punjab", "Cosmos", "Panthers", "Superstars" and "Knight Riders". - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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