A New York organizing committee headed by former Guyana and USA national cricketers Deryck Kallicharran, Sew Shivnarain, and Zamin Amin, along with Johnny Sanasie, Gerald Singh, Ralph Tamesh, and businessman Jameel “Hafeez” Ali, will recognize the contributions of three New York-based cricket administrators, John Aaron, Rudy Persaud, and Kuldeap “Krish” Prasad, during a 25-overs celebratory cricket match on Saturday, July 19, 2025, at Idlewild Cricket Ground in Queens, NY. The match gets underway at 12:00 Noon.
All three honorees have served as president of the Eastern American Cricket Association (EACA) league in New York, as well as in other administrative positions outside the EACA.
Chairman of the organizing committee “Recognizing Excellence in NY Cricket Award,” Deryck Kallicharran, said, “The idea is to recognize and applaud the efforts of individuals who have contributed to the development of the sport of cricket in the USA. It is a coincidence that all three of this year’s honorees have served as presidents of the same league in New York during the past three decades. The organizing committee believes it is essential to recognize such excellence in a public manner.
The two participating teams in the 25-overs celebratory match will be drawn from past and current cricketers in the New York area,” adding, “We are looking forward to an exciting match at the Lord’s Cricket Ground of New York — Idlewild Cricket Ground.”
This year’s honorees are –
JOHN L. AARON
John Aaron’s passion for cricket was cultivated from the DNA of his father, Reggie Aaron, a former Maltenoes Sports Club cricketer, commentator, and writer in Guyana, and his brother Keith Aubrey Aaron, a former Guyana scholar, and Under-20 national youth cricket captain who also led a Guyana Colts XI against a visiting England side in 1968. It was his brother, Keith Aaron, who encouraged John to become involved in cricket administration in the USA in 1986.
At the national level in the USA, John has served as Secretary of the United States of America Cricket Association (USACA) from 2008 to 2011 and as Secretary of the American Cricket Federation (ACF) from 2012 to 2015. John Aaron considers himself a “servant of cricket,” and he is viewed by many as being highly pivotal in the reconciliation efforts within USA cricket in 2008, following two suspensions by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2005 and again in 2007, based on poor governance. He represented USACA at the 2009 ICC’s Annual General Meeting in Dubai.
John has demonstrated an unselfish approach to problem-solving in the personality-driven, volatile USA cricket environment, serving as chairman of the USACA League President’s Reconciliation Commission in 2007 and as a member of the USACA Constitution Review Committee. The former West Indies Cricket Board President, Ken Gordon, described John as “…a true Statesman,” in acknowledging John’s willingness to heal the then-rift in US cricket.
John Aaron’s expertise in management, gained as an Executive Vice President and Regional Training Director in corporate America, and as Director of Marketing & Communications in an academic environment, has equipped him with the necessary skill sets that helped USA cricket regain its credibility in the international arena in 2012. Just before USACA was readmitted to the global cricket community in 2008, then-ICC Chief Executive Malcolm Speed described John Aaron’s views, calling for a new direction and leadership for USA cricket, as “very impressive and worthy of consideration.” Many have described the views and actions of John Aaron as one of the most positive turning points for USA cricket in the past twenty years.
John’s strengths lie in his ability to coalesce individuals with differing points of view and to get them to work towards a common objective, such as the development and promotion of the sport of cricket. Regarded as an independent thinker, John has demonstrated an unquestionable commitment to helping develop cricket in the USA, indicative of his past stewardships as Secretary, President, and Manager of Atlantis Cricket Club – NY, Secretary and President of the Eastern American Cricket Association, and Chairman of the New York Cricket Region. As a club and league president, John Aaron has demonstrated an innate ability to partner cricket with the community, in several initiatives beyond the sport of cricket and benefiting the community, such programs include the funding of academic scholarships, Habitat for Humanity housing, fundraising assistance for injured and sick cricketers, and clothing, toys, and food drives.
John Aaron is a recipient of the 2001 Cricket Hall of Fame President’s Award for Outstanding Journalism and was inducted into the USA Cricket Hall of Fame in 2012.
Since 2021, John has managed the USA national women’s cricket teams on tours to Mexico, the Caribbean, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Argentina, the Netherlands, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as domestically. He has successfully managed the USA women to three consecutive ICC Americas Region Cricket World Cup Global Qualifiers in 2021 (Mexico), 2023 (Los Angeles, CA), and 2025 (Buenos Aires, Argentina), and defeating all six Caribbean cricket nations in 2022 (Trinidad & Tobago) and the West Indies Under-19 women in a bilateral series in 2023 (Florida, USA) and a tied-series in 2024 (Trinidad & Tobago) in addition to triumphant victories against the UAE and Zimbabwe senior women’s national teams.
RUDY PERSAUD
Rudy Persaud was President of the Eastern American Cricket Association (EACA) league and served in that capacity for almost a decade. Before being elected President of the EACA, Rudy served as the association’s Assistant Secretary Treasurer in 2004, then as Treasurer in 2005 and 2006, before being elected Vice President in 2007 and subsequently President in 2008.
Rudy Persaud, a resident of Queens, New York, was born in Guyana and migrated to the United States in 1986. He has been involved in the administration of cricket since 2004, having established Enmore Cricket Club that same year and affiliated with the EACA. With Enmore’s affiliation with the EACA, Rudy became more involved in the administration of the sport in the New York metropolitan area, particularly with the EACA. His passion and dedication to helping the sport grow became even more apparent when he was asked to manage an EACA Under-19 squad and subsequently a New York Region Under-19 squad to Florida for the USACA Regional championship, which New York won.
Rudy’s passion for the sport led him to spearhead the New York City Mayor’s Cup organizing committee for four years, working closely with the City’s Parks Department to successfully execute the five-borough tournament. The Queens Borough XI, with EACA as the lead league, won the championship three out of four finals.
Rudy also served as the Secretary of a representative Guyana XI in the Ed Ahmad New York Cup tournament for several years. He has also been instrumental in the annual Guyana Inter-County cricket tournament for several years, most recently in 2017.
Under Rudy Persaud’s stewardship, the EACA has enjoyed tremendous success in New York Inter-League tournaments. Many times, he spearheaded efforts to help raise funds for players who couldn’t afford to travel to national tournaments held throughout the country.
As Chairman of the New York Cricket Region, Rudy Persaud achieved significant success, successfully managing the New York Regional Team in the Annual MAQ Qureshi 20/20 Tournament held in Florida. Rudy Persaud was inducted into the USA Cricket Hall of Fame in 2018.
KULDEAP “KRISH” PRASAD
Kuldeap Prasad, more commonly referred to simply as Krish, developed his love for cricket in his native Guyana, and his passion for the sport continued when he migrated to the United States. Through hard work and his love of playing cricket, he was ultimately catapulted from a number 12 position to that of an opening batsman for the Everest Cricket Club in the Eastern American Cricket Association league in New York. His organizational, motivational, and fundraising skills were developed due to his unyielding dedication and love of the game.
Primarily through Krish’s overall devotion to cricket, Everest Cricket Club ultimately became one of the most competitive teams in the New York metropolitan area, currently competing in the Masters Tournament in New York. His efforts were recognized as early as 1985, when he was unanimously elected President of the Everest Cricket Club for the first time, a position he has held ever since.
Krish’s undeniable dedication to the sport of cricket and his selflessness rapidly earned him the recognition, respect, and admiration of cricketers through the New York region, as a result of which he was repeatedly elected to the position of President of the Eastern American Cricket Association (EACA) league in 1998-2001, 2005, and 2006. Krish’s tireless efforts in raising money for the sport, developing young talent, and showcasing senior talent have earned him the title of Chairman of the New York Cricket Region in 2001, 2003, 2005, and 2007.
In 1999 and 2000, Krish was chosen by the Presidents of the majority of the United States Cricket Leagues as a member of the Board of Directors of the United States of America Cricket Association (USACA). Krish was the only representative from the United States, along with the President of the USACA, who attended the ICC cricket conference at Lord’s, England, in 2000.
Krish was named Chairman of the Ed Ahmad New York Caribbean Cricket Tournament, a.k.a. the Ed Ahmad Cup (formerly Red Stripe Tournament), from 2003 to 2008. Krish and his committee were responsible for securing funding, organizing, and overseeing the Ed Ahmad Cup — the highest level of cricket played in the USA at that time. The tournament included first-class cricketers from the Caribbean, Pakistan, and India. Ed Ahmad’s funding of the competition and Sew Shivnarain’s contributions helped make the tournament the most anticipated cricket event on the East Coast of the USA for several years.
In his spare time and away from cricket, Krish made his living as the Eastern Seaboard and European supervisor of training and engineering for American Airlines for more than 30 years.
Krish was inducted into the USA Cricket Hall of Fame in 2007.
For more information, contact Deryck Kallicharran at 917. 573. 8078, Johnnie Sanasie 917. 332. 7317, Sew Shivnarain 347. 870. 9679 or Ralph Tamesh 516. 852. 1459.
