Another Big Step For West Coast Champions!

In the 1800’s the westward roll of the railroad presaged the development of the United States of America. In Fall the 2010 American College Cricket, after just 18 months, rolled westward for its West Coast Championship. This accomplished the desired effect of increasing the profile of cricket regionally, evidenced by the La Daily News coverage of the event.

USC President Max Nikias presenting Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata with a USC Cricket jersey. Photos courtesy of USC Cricket.

The USC Cricket team won that first ACC West Championship to follow through on the hard work of its founder Arvin Varma, and the current Club President Tarun Sandhu. From 2009 both had worked closely with American College Cricket President Lloyd Jodah to make the Trojans Cricket Club an important part of the organization. Difficult as it was the Trojans made it to the 2010 American College Cricket Spring Break Championship, resulting in the University elevating its status to level 2, just one level below varsity status!

But Trojans Cricket faced difficulties in getting to the 2011 American College Cricket Spring Break Championshipm so Jodah motivated a presentation by Trojans’ Sandhu to BIG League USA (BLU), strategic partners of American College Cricket, and the result was BLU CEO Salman Ahmed and ACC CEO Nino DiLorreto flying out to Los Angeles to meet with Varma, Sandhu and Trojans Cricket Captain Tarun Tiyagi.

After the meeting, the 6’6 powerfully-built Salman Ahmed, said “Big League USA is ready to provide resources for game development, equipment like a bowling machine, cricket gear, and to sponsor the USC Cricket team for its cricket related expenses.” He also said it was possible “international cricket coaches could be provided for the team, and relationships established with International players.”

As BIG League USA has secured extensive playing rights for the Cricket Stadium in Central Broward Regional Park, Florida, CEO Salman Ahmed also said, the Stadium could now be considered “the Trojans home away from home playing field.”

USC’s Arvin Varma said “This was a very good first meeting. Salman is clearly passionate about USA cricket development and put forward a lot of positive ideas and proposals. I look forward to our next meeting on Monday.”

Plaque presented to USC Cricket by Big League's Salman Ahmed.

One of the most important tenets of American College Cricket relates to the promotion of the game by each member school club and Arvin Varma, ACC Advisory Board Member and Assistant Director of Rec Sports at USC, has delivered. Months in planning, Varma persuaded the USC President Max Nikias to reschedule his visit to India to coincide with the ICC World Cup, and to take a USC Cricket jersey which was presented to legendary Ratan Tata, Chairman of Tata Group, one of India’s largest conglomerates over the past decades.

ACC’s Nino DiLoreto, in the midst of working on the 2011 national Championship, was happy with the trip to Los Angeles, despite the rain, ” Trojans Cricket is our West Coast foundation so this was really worth it, and important. It demonstrates what the relationship between American College Cricket and BIG League USA can bring to the table. ACC has shown that every step we take is dedicated to the advancement of cricket America, in the form of college cricket, and this is just one more. USC has had a cricket club since 1992, but the platform of American College Cricket has really made an enormous positive difference in elevating its profile.”