American Cricket Federation
The American Cricket Federation (ACF) strives to give cricketers in the United States the opportunity for consistent, regular play against elevated levels of competition. We believe that it is only through this type of regular exposure that American cricketers can rise to excellence as players and to national prominence as role models and cricketing heroes.
To that end, ACF is now beginning to develop what will become a season long, national, inter-league competition. At this early stage we are calling it the ‘American Cricket Champions League.’ We are expecting to launch this competition in 2014.
These higher-level matches would pit America’s best against each other, which should provide both a sporting spectacle and a better tool for evaluation of talent than the United States has currently.
We intend on developing an American product, with American players – for an American audience. This, of course, is exactly how major league baseball and professional football began: small scale, community based rivalries that gradually grew into what we see today.
Here’s what we are envisioning:
The idea is that leagues would be divided by ACF’s geographic zones into divisions; these leagues would play the other leagues in their division during the season to keep travel expenses to a minimum. The playoffs would pit division winners against each other, concluding with an ‘American Cricket Championship Series’ with the Eastern Conference winner playing the Western Conference winner.
We envision a scenario where participating leagues would have the freedom to change their XI at will, and would have maximum flexibility in regard to scheduling matches so that the competition doesn’t cause a conflict with their league schedule. The model for this is the way in which the English Premier League teams also play in Champions League matches in-season.
In the beginning, the competition is designed to be very frugal, so as to avoid the pitfalls that would require big money sponsorship. Basically, there would be no cost to the participants from ACF member leagues; the home team would just have to arrange for umpires, balls, etc. just as they would for any match. Everyone would cover their own travel, just as they would for any match.
ACF will track the statistics, the tables and promote every match, team and player. We will use our media capabilities to help to create a first generation of American cricket superstars. We will work with Cricinfo, plus local and national media to cover the results.
ACF would like to extend a tip of the hat to Shantha Suraweera of the Orange County Cricket Association, who independently has conceived of a similar plan, and Leighton Greenidge of the Southern Connecticut Cricket Association, who first introduced the concept to the ACF Steering Committee some months ago.
We would also like to encourage leagues, clubs and individuals to contact ACF to contribute insights and suggestions regarding this exciting new competition, and how we might make it better.
