New Delhi: The seventh edition of IPL has just concluded and it has fans all around the world. In the last edition of ICC World T20, Nepal became the latest entrant . But this time the administrators of the world cricket will be happy as the game ventured to the new areas . America has become the latest country to develop its interest in the game of cricket. Areas such as New York City, California's Silicon Valley, Washington, D.C., and Dallas have become cricket hotbeds, fueled by an influx of mostly South Asian immigrants, some of whom arrived as part of the high-tech boom.In the immigrant-rich New York area, cricket has become so popular that lotteries are being held for the chance to play on pitches at some state parks.New York City schools still have the only school cricket league in the country, but it has doubled in size in just seven years, with 30 teams now competing for the limited-overs title.A national traveling league, the American Cricket Champions League, began this year and has 17 teams from Boston to Los Angeles vying a for a six-team playoff tournament.For 17-year-old Akash Chowdhury, who arrived in New York City four years ago from Bangladesh and plays in the city schools league, cricket has helped smooth the transition to his new home."Playing cricket in America helps me remember my back country," Chowdhury said. "But I really don't miss it like that, because I can play here." "We're hoping that as kids grow up, they will create pressure on school systems to think of cricket," said Jamie Harrison, CEO of the American Cricket Federation.Cricket is wildly popular in former countries of the British Empire.John Aaron, executive secretary of the American Cricket Federation, grew up playing the game in his native Guyana. He compares cricket in the U.S. to where football was just a few decades ago.
