For $8 you get pizza, a drink and a cricket match in what might be Hamilton's most affordable league

Ahmed Jamani, 35, founded the Hamilton Cricket Association (HCA) in in 2022 with one thing in mind — making the game he loves more affordable to play. 

"For a season, which lasts about like 5 months, they charge almost $350 to $450 a month for people to play," Jamani said, adding that players who have careers and families often don't have the funds to play in a cricket league. 

"Nobody has that much money to spare, especially when you are in your adult life."

But in Jamani's league, it's only eight dollars for a match, which he said includes a slice of pizza and a drink after. 

Jamani said he runs the league with small fees, his own funds and through sponsorships with local restaurants, like Turtle Jacks. 

"I do need more support always, but still so far so good," he said. 

The HCA also runs squash games and little league soccer, along with cricket, he said. 

On Sunday, Jamani hosted a seven-match Summer Championship tournament, which he said was streamed online by 520 viewers. 

"We all have an in-depth love with cricket," said Jamani, who grew up in Karachi, Pakistan.

He said, for a lot of the players in the HCA, the love of the game comes from "growing up in the cricket environment" in South and Southeast Asia. 

Cricket has experienced a boom in the past few years, with other local clubs like the 175-year-old Hamilton Cricket Club doubling in size since 2019. 

Jamani's association has four teams: the Kings, the Legends, the Hawks and the Royals. Players come from all across the Greater Toronto Area, he said. 

A new team called the Mavericks played in Sunday's championship. 

Maverick Mohammed Khan Mohammed, 32, said he's "really thankful" that Jamani started HCA, because it has been an opportunity to experience a bit of