Cricket Club hosts Alumni Cup
Sean Patrick Armstrong
Issue date: 3/23/07 Section: Sports
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Despite the telltale signs, many sports fans would argue that the one true signifier of spring's arrival is the fabled crack of ball striking bat.
Surya Saha, president of the Mississippi State Cricket Club, could not agree more.
For Saha and many of Mississippi State's international population, cricket offers an adrenaline rush as well as an alleviation of homesickness.
Cricket's worldwide fan base is second only to soccer's, and in places like Jamaica, South Africa and much of South Asia, it is firmly entrenched as a national pastime.
"Most of our players have played cricket in their country of origin, be it India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, South Africa or Jamaica," Saha said.
Still, Saha has occasionally managed to win over the odd non-international novice.
"We have successfully coached a few Americans from time to time, and they have been fairly proficient cricketers," he said.
Having survived and flourished past the founding generation's graduation, MSUCC has already surpassed the typical lifespan of a university cricket club.
"As far as I know, no university cricket club has been as active as MSUCC in the Southern U.S.," Saha said. "Nor do most university clubs survive as long as we have."
As a testament to the club's longevity, MSU's campus will play host to the MSUCC Alumni Cup 2007 this weekend.
The tournament will pit State's current crop of cricket talent against past players who have since graduated.
The action begins at 9:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday on the Drill Field.
"It will probably be a pretty even contest," Saha said. "Some of the alumni play in leagues, so they should still be playing at a pretty high level."
Saha says the competition's existence, as well as the club's, is owed mainly to the founding members' continuing dedication.
"They stay in touch because they care about the club," Saha said of the alumni. "They are old friends, and many of them are founding members."
Lokesh Shivakumaraiah, the MSUCC's first president and currently the coordinator of international student recruitment at MSU, says the tournament exemplifies the continuing pride and passion for the club.
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