Street cricket to nationwide participation: How the South Asian diaspora built a cultural bridge to establish the game in Saudi Arabia

Standfirst: The game has gone from friendly matches on dusty fields and car parks to competitive fixtures and the National Cricket Championship

By Rashid Hassan

RIYADH: In the 1980s, sporadic friendly cricket matches began popping up on the streets of major Saudi Arabia cities as a weekend pastime for millions of expatriates from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Over the decades they would serve as a vital cultural bridge and community anchor for those who had made the Kingdom their home. Today, their impact has spread nationwide.

The diaspora has contributed richly to the development of cricket played in the Kingdom for about five decades, with the South Asian communities regularly organizing informal street matches, and local league tournaments, with major cultural sports events in various cities.

Every weekend and public holiday would see these neighborhood and community games taking place on empty playgrounds, parking areas and open spaces.

Amid sprawling cityscapes casting a warm orange glow, a group of men would gather on empty lots in casual outfits, some wearing cricket jerseys and others in their traditional attire.

The sound of lively chatter and laughter fill the air as they set up for a friendly match.

They work together to mark out a makeshift pitch on the dusty plot, using chalk to draw the boundaries and creases. As the preparations continue, the players take turns to warm up by throwing the ball to each other.

Adding fuel to the passion, a small group of spectators also gather on the sidelines, eager to watch the game unfold, chatting amongst themselves, discussing the players’ skills and approach to the game, and making predictions on which side would win or lose.

Saquib Hamza, a