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Cities with south Asian populations need more infrastructure to maintain cricket’s growth

Brampton, Ont. is widely referred to as the cricket capital of Canada with probably the highest percentage of its population among all municipalities actively playing the sport. However, the city still lacks a dedicated cricket stadium.

Mississauga is another cricket hotbed, and it, too, lacks the proper infrastructure for the growing sport.

Brampton was recently the host city for a professional tournament, and Mississauga has also staged several high-end cricket competitions, but temporary seating has had to be installed to accommodate spectators.

The interest in cricket in Mississauga has been on the rise in recent years, and user groups are demanding more pitches to be built to keep up with the game’s growth.

A multi-purpose cricket stadium has been proposed for Brampton, and additional enhancements to its cricket infrastructure have recently been approved by council. They include shade structures and batting cages. More than $2 million has been invested by the city over the past three years to improve Brampton’s cricket facilities. An additional $7 million has been earmarked for future improvements.

Brampton currently has 18 cricket facilities.

More than half of Brampton’s population is south Asian in origin while about 25 per cent of Mississauga’s population hails from the same region. Cricket is perhaps the most popular sport in South Asia, and in India especially.

Cricket is also growing at a fast pace in Quebec, but practitioners of the sport are faced with a lack of playing facilities. Several games have had to be cancelled due to an insufficient number of venues.