It is that time of year again. Windows are opened, forgotten shorts are salvaged from closet depths, and the warm breeze tells of mowed lawns and blooming foliage. Despite the telltale signs, many sports fans would argue that the one true signifier of spring’s arrival is the fabled crack of ball striking bat.
Surya Saha, president of the Mississippi State Cricket Club, could not agree more.
For Saha and many of Mississippi State’s international population, cricket offers an adrenaline rush as well as an alleviation of homesickness.
Cricket’s worldwide fan base is second only to soccer’s, and in places like Jamaica, South Africa and much of South Asia, it is firmly entrenched as a national pastime.
“Most of our players have played cricket in their country of origin, be it India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, South Africa or Jamaica,” Saha said.
Still, Saha has occasionally managed to win over the odd non-international novice.
“We have successfully coached a few Americans from time to time, and they have been fairly proficient cricketers,” he said.
Having survived and flourished past the founding generation’s graduation, MSUCC has already surpassed the typical lifespan of a university cricket club.
“As far as I know, no university cricket club has been as active as MSUCC in the Southern U.S.,” Saha said. “Nor do most university clubs survive as long as we have.”
As a testament to the club’s longevity, MSU’s campus will play host to the MSUCC Alumni Cup 2007 this weekend.
The tournament will pit State’s current crop of cricket talent against past players who have since graduated.
The action begins at 9:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday on the Drill Field.
“It will probably be a pretty even contest,” Saha said. “Some of the alumni play in leagues, so they should still be playing at a pretty high level.”
Saha says the competition’s existence, as well as the club’s, is owed mainly to the founding members’ continuing dedication.
“They stay in touch because they care about the club,” Saha said of the alumni. “They are old friends, and many of them are founding members.”
Lokesh Shivakumaraiah, the MSUCC’s first president and currently the coordinator of international student recruitment at MSU, says the tournament exemplifies the continuing pride and passion for the club.
“Our international alumni are so proud of Mississippi State that they are coming from all over the United States to relive their good old days,” Shivakumaraiah said. “Our passion never ceases.”
Despite its short history, the Mississippi State Cricket Club has already garnered a reputation as one of the premier cricketing outposts in this corner of the country.
Founded in the fall of 2002 by Shivakumaraiah, the club has since won several tournaments in the SEC region, most recently the Vanderbilt University Cricket Tournament in September 2006.
To ensure new generations of cricket talent and support, MSUCC works with the office of admissions to interest potential international students before they even reach the United States.
Once the students are on campus, the club holds orientation meetings to entice them further.
Aside from hosting tournaments, the club has also hosted a successful children’s cricket camp.
Currently, they are hosting free screenings of the ICC Cricket World Cup in the Sanderson Center and will also host a six-university tournament later in the year.
The club has tasted victory against teams from other regional schools like Auburn, Ole Miss, Alabama, Tennessee, Tennessee Tech and Southern Alabama in recent years.
The team team has already earned three consecutive wins this year against the Crimson Tide.
“The team has had a very productive fall and a good spring season so far,” Saha said. “We have a fantastic team for spring and are looking forward to earning more glory for MSU in and beyond the SEC.