Neighbors

2002-04-18

Get wicket

It’s the world’s most popular sport, so get on the stick, Danbury

By Lenn Zonder SPECIAL TO THE NEWS-TIMES

DANBURY — Cricket has arrived. The Danbury Hatters Cricket Club will bring a new sport and league to the Candlewood Valley area Saturday. The team will play its first game of the season at Broadview School at noon as members of the Southern Connecticut Cricket Association, one of two cricket leagues in the state. On April 28, they will host the SCtCA All-Star game on the same field at noon. The SCtCA comprises seven cricket clubs from Bridgeport, Danbury, New Haven, Norwalk and Waterbury. They will play the league all-star game on April 28 at a site to be determined. Although the club expects to attract a much smaller crowd than the 20,000 to 30,000 spectators cricket matches around the world draw, players are confident they will eventually bring Danbury into step with the cricket-loving world. About three centuries old, cricket is arguably the No. 1 sport in the world and played in 75 countries, according to Adeel Syed, president, or captain, of the Hatters and organizer of the team. Syed, 23, a Pakistani, was raised in the New York City borough of Queens and, like most American kids, played Little League baseball and basketball growing up. He didn’t learn to play cricket until he visited Pakistan after graduating Danbury High School. “If you like baseball, you will learn to like cricket,” Syed said confidentl.

“The style and object of the game is the same.” Syed and his teammates are encouraged by a one-game exhibition they hosted last year at the Broadview cricket field. “A lot of people came out and watched the match,” he said. “I think, if people give the game half a chance, they will enjoy it. It’s played and enjoyed by many Western cultures.” The first recorded game of cricket was played in 1697. Less than 10 years later, the game reached the Americas, and cricket clubs began forming almost immediately. British army officers and the local gentry started the first American cricket clubs. Soon the game became a major recreation for American “gentlemen of leisure.” The game also took hold in eastern Canada, and soon U.S. and Canadian cricket clubs began an animated cross-border rivalry. In the 1840s, they met at Bloomingdale Park in New York City in the first international cricket match in the modern world. American cricket enjoyed great popularity until the late 1800s, when it was replaced by baseball. Ironically, the cricket clubs sponsored many of the baseball teams of the day. Soon cricket was seen as an elitist sport and baseball became the “people’s game.” The Hatters team primarily consists of Indians and Pakistanis who live in the greater Danbury area. Many of the players are graduates of Danbury and Bethel high schools. Atif Zafar, 25, a Pakistani, played soccer for Danbury High and now plays basketball on the Cedant Mobility team. His brother, Asim, 27, a collection and credit analyst for GE Capital, also went to Danbury High and has been playing cricket in the area from 10 years. Keyur Desai, a 24-year-old Indian, has played cricket both here and in India. He also plays basketball. Dharmesh Rana, also from India, is an electrical assembly technician for Drug Inc., in Danbury. He is 27 and considered one of the team’s best players. Recently arrived in this country, he spoke through an interpreter and said he was recruited for the team. If you follow world politics, you know that, at best, India and Pakistan have shaky and often contentious relations. The two countries were one nation until India won its freedom from Great Britain in 1948. Immediately, the country exploded in a Hindu vs. Moslem conflict. The result was the creation of two nations based on religion — Pakistan for the Moslems and India for the Hindus. Even so, problems continue. The Danbury players chose not to take part in them. “The war is in Asia,” said Atif Asafar“It is the (Indian and Pakistani) politicians that cause the difficulties, not the people.” To prove the point, Asim Zafar pointed out that all the parents of the team members are open-minded about the relationships formed by the players and support the team. “There are no hatreds,” Asim Zafar said. “We are all American. Most of us went to Danbury High and were friends in school. Now we are working to bring our communities together.” “The people of both countries are the same,” Syed said. “The cultures are similar and the food, dress and way of life is similar. There shouldn’t be any reason why people of similar color and race (can’t) live together. Politics cause the problems. The people in power, those who wish to have land and control others, are the problem. Our religions are different, but they both teach us to live in harmony and peace.” Then, as an afterthought, he said, “Especially in a country like this (America).” If Syed has his way, the team will become even more diverse. “We are hoping to attract some good players from the West Indian community in the area,” he said.