Players ramp up efforts to grow game of cricket ahead of Olympic return – Spectrum News

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ROCHESTER, N.Y. — When the Olympics return to Los Angeles in 2028, the game of cricket will make its first appearance at the games in over a century. In Rochester, there is an effort to grow the game by teaching it to kids.  
Kids gather every Friday evening at Rochester Community Sports Complex to learn and play the game of cricket.
Ankur Modi started the kids cricket program to teach the game he loves. Modi grew up with the sport and plays in adult leagues around the area.
“When you play it when you’re young, you just get into the groove of it,” said Modi. “And you just want to keep playing and playing and playing, just like any of the sports that you would get into.”
Rochester has six adult cricket teams and Buffalo has about twice that. Modi is trying to grow the sport.
“People know what cricket is,” he said. “People automatically put a reference to baseball. There’s a bat, there’s a ball involved. They know they’re supposed to hit somewhere.” 
“Cricket, like baseball, you hit the ball, but the field is all the way around,” said Green. “So you can hit anywhere, even behind.”
The cricket playing field is referred to as a pitch. And unlike baseball, pitchers are called bowlers. One thing that surprises new players in cricket is that you can hit the ball literally anywhere, as long as you hit it.
“Yeah, it was kind of hard to figure out,” said Kamara Butts. “What’s hard for me right now is trying to throw the ball. You know, hit the target.”
Modi says he and other adult cricket players realized there were not a lot of local teams, and not many younger people getting into the sport. So they decided to do something about it.
“I’m just happy enough right now that people are coming and playing, like the sport or not,” he said.
Modi and other cricket players are trying to get new outdoor cricket pitches built in some Rochester area parks.
“I’ll be absolutely elated if people come and say, ‘hey, I actually want to play more,’” he said. “Can we have some games? And that’s the next step.” 

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