Mauritius national cricket team
The Mauritian cricket team is the team that represents the country of Mauritius in international cricket competitions. They are not an official member of the International Cricket Council, hence they are not entitled to participate in the official ICC events. It is administered by the Mauritius Cricket Association. Despite that they are members of the African Cricket Association, which should see them being granted ICC membership in the near future. Cricket in Mauritius is a sporadic affair, with occasional games arranged by enthusiastic zealots replacing any sort of national association or organised competition structure. Four clubs keep the game alive in Mauritius, Maurindia, Star, Spartan and United Cricket Clubs. Maurindia is arguably the leading club and twice yearly plays the Seychelle Islands representative team in reciprocal visits. Later this year it will travel to Zimbabwe to play the Hindu Gymkhana Club.[1] Although recently, club cricket is expanding rapidly with new members joining it from time to time. All members are very much excited about their first tournament and are very much confident about their winning.[2]
 Flag of Mauritius | |
| Personnel | |
|---|---|
| Captain | Ashwini Sood |
| International Cricket Council | |
| ICC status | non-member |
| ICC region | Africa |
| International cricket | |
| First international | December 2000 |
| As of 19 December 2011 | |
In September 2000, there was a proposal to include cricket into the Olympic Games to help the game spread in minor countries like Mauritius, but that idea did not materialise.[3]
In October 2000, the Beyond The Test World blog in Cricinfo produced its first ever listing about the independent countries and recognised political units where cricket has a presence. Mauritius were listed in the Africa region because there were four cricket clubs there and a cricket tourney, which was one of the criteria for the document.[4] But they did not make the cut 2006 was a memorable year for Mauritian cricket. The year 2006 has witnessed a transformation in the structure under which the sport is practised in Mauritius. The Maurindia Cricket Club organised the first Day-Night Cricket match at Anjaley Stadium between Indian High Commission – XI Vs Commonwealth XI that was telecasted live on MBC 3 for 4 hours. Maurindia Cricket Club and Riviere du Rempart Star Knitwear Sports Club have joined hands for the promotion of cricket in Mauritius and Federation of Cricket Clubs has been constituted under the patronage of Indian High Commission. The sport has received tremendous support from the Ministry of Youth & Sports, whereby a plot of 5.3 hectares (13 acres) of land near Anjaley Stadium is being allotted to the Federation for the construction of a cricket stadium.[5]
In April 2011, Tommy Hammond, of Tommy Hammond Sports, took South African first-class side KwaZulu-Natal Inland Under-15 side to Mauritius in what promised to be a most important and promising tour and proved to a ground-breaking tour in Mauritian cricket.[6]
In June 2013, an action cricket style 6-a-side tournament was organised by Dolphins Cricket Club in Tamarin attracting 12 kids and adult teams from around the island.[7]
External links
References
- Information on cricket in Mauritius ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 19 December 2011
- Mauritius Cricket Association African Cricket Association Official Website. Retrieved 20 December 2011
- Olympic Games: Why Associates want cricket to join the Olympic party ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 19 December 2011
- BTTW's first unofficial list of cricket playing countries or 'How To Start An Argument' ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 19 December 2011
- Promotion of Cricket in Mauritius, 2006 – Memorable year in the History of Cricket in Mauritius Archived 17 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine Earth.org. Retrieved 19 December 2011
- Inland schoolboy cricketers in Mauritius The Witness. Retrieved 19 December 2011
- Cricket in Mauritius: Fun, Fast & Active Archived 27 July 2013 at the Wayback Machine active.mu Retrieved 17 June 2013