Come October 6th and America will be ignited with the splinters of a new sport. Yes, the South Asian community is hooked to cricket but by and large, the sport that has caught the imagination of commonwealth countries since long will be running on a virgin territory here. Staten Island in New York is all decked up. Already, a minor-league baseball ground is being converted. 10000 seats have been arranged. If all goes according to the plan, Jay Mir, the man behind the show, would find the stadium packed on the inaugural day.

The stadium has a picturesque setting with the Statue of Liberty peeping over it and mighty Hudson flowing beneath it. It is a rare sight and something along the lines has hardly been witnessed even in countries where cricket is an extravaganza. Accelerated recruitment is underway and already many legends of the game have been hired in some capacity or another.

If there is Richard Hadlee as the executive consultant and Richie Richardson as chief recruiter, there is also a strong coach line-up boasting of former greats like John Emburey and Richardson once again. Players are being siphoned off from the ICL fold with lucrative offers. Many retirees are also going to make their presence felt. APL is brightening up with the presence of players like Martyn, Gillespie, Astle, Parore, Harris, Boje, Klusener, Hall, Hollioake, Hicks, Saqlain and Inzamam.

Here is wishing the American cricketing revolution all the success that it deserves.

APL seems to be an exciting venture. Conceived by American Sports and Entertainment Group Inc., American Premier League is molded on the ICL and its illustrious competitor, the IPL. Already, the event slated to be held in October is raising quite a visitor footfall on various websites. Staten Island in New York is the venue chosen for the inaugural edition and the picturesque ground boasts of a phenomenal setting (read River Hudson and the magnificent Statue of Liberty)

Many champion players from the past will be donning the APL hats. Already, Lance Klusener, Nicke Boje, Nathan Astle, Inzamam, Saqlain and a lot others are confirmed. Ex- West Indian Richie Richardson will be coaching the Premium West Indies team. He will also be the chief recruiter. Richard Hadlee has confirmed to the designation of Executive consultant.

In case you think where are the Kangaroos languishing, take a breath. APL already boasts of magicians like Damien Martyn and Jason Gillespie. We have all seen the masterful wielding of the willow by Australia’s wrecker-in-chief of past- Damien Martyn, and we know how much guile does Gillespie use in his artistry.

Gillespie knows that he might earn the ICC wrath but is undeterred. He believes that this would not affect him as he is anyways banned from playing cricket at any recognized level. For him, Martyn, Astle and many others in the Premium World team, the desire to bring some credibility to the game in America remains the only lure (and of course there is a lot of money too)