Three years ago, the Westford Select Board passed a vote to approve nearly $5,000 in donations raised by the Knights XI Cricket team and National Cricket Academy America. The money was raised to build a cricket pitch on the grounds of Stony Brook Middle School. At the time, Praveen Sathyesh, a member of the Knights XI and representative of the fundraising initiative, spoke to the WestfordCAT. Satthyesh stated that the aim of the project was to “not build just one pitch,” and that eventually, “We want to have a Westford Academy cricket team.”
Two years later, the presence of Cricket in Westford is larger than ever. While Westford Academy doesn’t yet field a Cricket team, that hasn’t kept members of the community from continuing the initiative.
The Situation Today
Amit Jhawar has been playing Cricket for most of his life, and is something of a leader in the sport’s local presence. Though not formally connected with the 2023 effort, Amit shares a similar vision for the sport’s future in the community.
Jhawar plays for the GVW Spartans, a team that participates in tournaments hosted by the Metrowest Cricket League (MWCL), and the Merrimack Cricket League (MCL). However, local community tournaments and exhibitions are organized through WhatsApp Group Chats and friendly gatherings.
Youth Cricket Players
Jhawar additionally coaches younger cricketers at the Elite Junior Academy. As he expresses it:
“There’s a very robust scene in Westford. It’s getting bigger, definitely growing, more kids are getting interested and participating.”
As to why the sport is growing, Jhwar identified various possibilities. Cricket is the most popular sport in India, and for him as well as other Indian Americans, the sport is deeply connected to a sense of community. As for the younger generations, he believes that the sport’s conceptual similarities to baseball allow it to function as a cultural bridge between India and America.
