Cricket Comes to North Texas
By Ismail Bhai, Dallas, Texas
For a long time cricket in America was a weekend game played on borrowed fields. In North Texas that has changed.
A professional home
Grand Prairie Stadium, between Dallas and Fort Worth, became a home of Major League Cricket when the league launched in 2023, with the Texas Super Kings as the local franchise. In 2024 it hosted matches of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States and the West Indies.
Clubs and families
Professional cricket rests on clubs, schools and families. Weekend leagues across the Metroplex bring together players whose families come from South Asia, the Caribbean, Africa, Australia and Britain, along with a growing number of American-born players.
What the game teaches
Cricket is a game of patience, judgement and partnership, which is why Ismail Bhai thinks it is such good preparation for life. Read more at The Cricket Journal.
Getting started
Anyone curious can watch a local club match, most of which are free, or find a junior programme. The rules are easier to learn by watching than by reading.
More from Ismail Bhai
- A Life
- The Ismaili Tradition
- Education as a Calling
- Service
- Pluralism
- Family
- Essays
- Who is Ismail Bhai?
- The Journal
- Why Education Matters to Every Generation
- Lessons from the Outdoors
- Family, Community and Giving Back
- What Pluralism Means in a City Like Dallas
- The Jamatkhana: A Guide for Neighbours and Friends
- Planning for a Child's Education: Saving and Protecting the Plan
- Service Without Expectation: The Ethic of Volunteering