Batting for Saudi cricket
The high-voltage games between India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka in the ongoing Asia Cup have energized cricket lovers in the Kingdom and raises hopes, however dim at this stage, that the game would also become popular among Saudis.
Wherever you go these days, the talk, among both men and women, revolves around Shahid Afridi’s stunning sixes and Afghanistan’s dramatic victory over Bangladesh.
Thanks to a large Asian community in the Kingdom, such fever pitch support for the game is not unusual. There are hundreds of cricket clubs and dozens of associations in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Yanbu, Madinah and Jubail, the country’s six major cities. Various clubs and teams play matches every weekend.
The high point in Saudi cricket was when the Jeddah-based Saudi Cricket Center (SCC) was formally recognized as an official body by the General Presidency of Youth Welfare. This was in 2001 — more than 13 years ago. Recognition by this sports regulatory body was essential to becoming a member of international cricket organizations.
Ten years ago, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) granted the SCC affiliate membership. This generated huge excitement. The general perception was that there would soon be a Saudi cricket team playing internationally. At around that time, the ACC granted similar recognition to Afghanistan. The irony was not lost on anybody when Afghanistan defeated Bangladesh in an Asia Cup encounter five days ago.
Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan started at the same time. What did Afghanistan have that Saudi Arabia did not? There are two major factors involved here. One, Afghanistan has a huge stadium, built by the US Army. In Saudi Arabia, there is no stadium where you can play international matches. Two, in Afghanistan, there is huge cricketing talent. There is also significant talent here, but cricket is not popular among Saudis. Because of this, the Saudi government has not supported the game. Companies use their corporate social responsibility budgets to support the cricket leagues in the cities.
But it appears that cricket is slowly becoming popular among football-crazy Saudis. This is particularly evident in the coastal city of Yanbu where more than 120 young Saudis have taken a liking to the game. The Royal Commission has provided them a stadium where they can play under floodlights.
Cricket here will only get official attention when Saudis take the initiative to promote the game, otherwise it will remain a weekend pastime of expatriates. Hope springs eternal that the game will flourish in Saudi Arabia. InshaAllah.
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