ICC: Cricket has expanded rapidly in Germany

The spurt in cricket-playing populace, largely fuelled by migrants from Asia, is such that the ICC is “struggling to keep up with the infrastructure and the governance of the sport in that country.”

Published : Nov 28, 2018 16:49 IST , New Delhi

ICC's Campbell Jamieson (centre): "The migration of people from South Asia aids [Germany's growth]." Photo: Getty Images
ICC's Campbell Jamieson (centre): "The migration of people from South Asia aids [Germany's growth]." Photo: Getty Images
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ICC's Campbell Jamieson (centre): "The migration of people from South Asia aids [Germany's growth]." Photo: Getty Images

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has pinned its hopes on South Asian migrants in Germany and the U.S. to expand the sport’s footprint in the untapped markets of Europe and the Americas. Campbell Jamieson, General Manager — Commercial, ICC, said the sport is growing rapidly in Germany, home to a sizeable South Asian population.

The ICC has 104 members in its fold but only 12 out of them play Test cricket. “Cricket is expanding. A really good example of that is Germany where in the last five years we have gone from 50 cricket teams to 500 teams and we are struggling to keep up with the infrastructure and the governance of the sport in that country. We need to ensure that cricketers in that country always get to play the sport they love,” Jamieson told PTI on Wednesday.

Beyond big cities

Initially, economic migration from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka fuelled the sport’s growth in Germany, but of late, the rising numbers of Afghan refugees are taking the game beyond the big cities.

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On the rise: Migrants participate in a local cricket league in Bischofswerda, Germany, on September 17, 2016. Photo: Getty Images
 

According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees statistics up to 2016, Germany had at least 46,292 registered Afghan refugees in the country. “Migrant population from cricket-playing countries is contributing to the growth of the game in Germany. And if you mix that with local players, you then have inclusive growth. The migration of people from South Asia aids that growth and we are fortunate in that case,” Jamieson said.

‘Great expansion’

The sport is also growing fast in the U.S., a fact that was recently acknowledged by former Windies batsman Ricardo Powell, now a selector with the the U.S. national team. “If you look at the current national team, 70 percent of the team members are of Indian descent. There is a huge Indian population in the U.S. and we have 250 clubs playing the game. That says a lot about cricket in the U.S.,” Powell had told PTI .

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At the moment, there is no ICC recognised association in the U.S. but the country is on its way to regaining the membership, said Jamieson. “North America has also seen great expansion thanks to the migration of people from the Caribbean and India, of course. We need to harness that opportunity to allow people to play the game they love,” he said.

A win-win situation

Speaking on ICC’s bid for women’s cricket’s inclusion in the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, Jamieson sounded upbeat. He said, “Hopefully, the bid is successful and that will take the women’s game further forward. From a cricket and Commonwealth Games’ perspective, both compliment each other really well. Commonwealth Games can utilise the power, strength and support that cricket has throughout the world. There is a rich cricketing history in the U.K., great facilities and infrastructure, but as I said, it is just an application along with number of sports.”

In light of the ever-increasing threat of corruption in cricket with the advent of T20 leagues around the world, Jamieson said it was imperative that the sport is governed properly. “In my view, the growth of leagues globally is good news for the game but at the same time, the cricket needs to be governed and administered properly,” he added.

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