The Eastern American Cricket Association (EACA) today joined the ranks of the American Cricket Federation (ACF), alongside 22 other cricket leagues in the nation. EACA is the second New York based league to become affiliated with ACF in the past week, and the third in the last year. The others are the Commonwealth Cricket League led by Lesly Lowe with more than 70 teams, and the New York Bangladesh Cricket League led by Ramesh Arunasalam, with 30 teams.
Rudy Persaud president of the Eastern American Cricket Association.
ACF’s Chairman Jagan Jaganathan said, “ACF is delighted to welcome EACA, a league with a rich history and serious talent, to its fold,” adding, the rapidly expanding membership base of the ACF is indicative of the urgency with which leagues passionate about cricket and the growth of the sport in America, view ACF’s drive to make the sport part of the American sports landscape and cultural pastime.”
The EACA has been engaged in organized cricket tournaments for more than 45 years in the New York metropolitan area, and has produced some of the best national youth and men cricketers on the east coast of the USA. With 18 teams expected to participate in this year’s 40-overs and T20 tournaments, the league covers a geographical spread of more than 50 miles from Marine Park in Brooklyn, to Heckscher State Park in East Islip, on Long Island, NY.
EACA is a mainstay league within the New York Cricket Region and has been in the forefront of facilitating tournaments under the auspices of the Mayor’s Office of the City of New York, winning that championship title twice, inter-league tournaments, the New York PSAL High School cricket program, the NYPD Under-23 Cricket League, and several other cricket initiatives, including the support of women’s cricket. It is one of the only New York leagues with an affiliated member club sponsoring a women’s team.
EACA’s President Rudy Persaud, said, “Joining the ACF was long overdue, but eventually we were disappointed with the way in which things were being done by USACA over the past decade. In my opinion, it was holding back the game in America.” He added, that the ACF offered “a break from the politics that is stifling the sport, and an opportunity to simply play cricket among peer leagues, so that players can improve their skills.”
ACF CEO Jamie Harrison, in welcoming the EACA aboard ACF, said, “The EACA is one of the cornerstone leagues in New York, and we are humbled to have them on the ACF team. As the New York leagues begin to coalesce around ACF, it signals a bright new day for cricket in America.”