Once the most popular sport in America, cricket is again on the rise and officials helped launch a new club, Atlanta Fire, last week at a press conference at the Georgia Capitol.
The city’s new cricket team was introduced on June 23 by state Reps. Pedro Marin and Carl Gilliard and Atlanta Fire Cricket Club CEO Mohammed Hasan Tarek.
“Atlanta Fire Cricket Club’s core mission is to elevate cricket’s popularity and represent Atlanta as the premier professional club throughout the United States. Atlanta Fire Cricket Club hopes to function as a first division club to foster cricket development in Georgia and provide opportunities for players residing in the United States to develop into professional cricketers,” Tarek said in a press release.
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game that was introduced to North America in the 17th century by English colonists.
It is popular in the U.K. and in former British colonies, especially in India, Pakistan and Australia. It’s also popular in the Caribbean. The U.S. currently has more than 200,000 cricket players. They compete in more than 400 local leagues, tournaments, academies and college and school programs nationwide.
“Sports are an effective stimulus for economic development, especially at the local level,” Marin said. “Individually, each of the various sectors of the sports economy can create lots of activity, jobs, and wealth. A great example of this is in basketball with the Atlanta Hawks, in football with the Atlanta Falcons, in soccer with Atlanta United, in baseball with the Atlanta Braves, in ice hockey with the Atlanta Gladiators, and now in cricket with Atlanta Fire Cricket Club.”
Tarek thanked members of the Georgia General Assembly and the CEO of USA Cricket, Iain Higgins, for their support. He detailed the team’s future in the state.
“As the President of Atlanta Fire Cricket Club, I envision great potential in the state of Georgia for cricket. We have recently established a new partnership between Atlanta Fire Cricket Club and Atlanta Cricket Fields in Forsyth County. Fifty-eight acres of land in Forsyth is now the proud home field of Atlanta Fire,” he said.
The Atlanta Fire Cricket CEO, along with international players, met Gov. Brian Kemp. State senators Sheikh Rahman and Nikki Merritt thanked Tarek for his leadership.
Atlanta Fire Cricket Club launched in 2018. Since then, it has continued to gain attention.
“Widely recognized for the highest standard of professionalism on and off the field, Atlanta Fire has revolutionized professional cricket in the United States,” the website says.
About the Author
