Russia national cricket team
 |
|
| ICC status | Affiliate member (2012) |
|---|---|
| ICC region | Europe |
| WCL | N/A |
| Coach | Nic Britz |
| Captain | Ashwani Chopra |
| First international | |
| v Carmel & District Cricket Club (2007) | |
| As of 8 October 2010 | |
The Russia national cricket team represents Russia in international cricket competitions. In 2012, they were officially endorsed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) as an Affiliate and are therefore entitled to participate in ICC Official events.
The game was played in St. Petersburg as early as the 1870s. In 1875, the British residents of the city challenged the sailors of the Prince of Wales’ Royal Yacht Osbourne to a match. By 1880 cricket was well established in St. Petersburg, with British diplomats and merchants challenging the British managers and foremen of the textile mills in an annual match. By 1895 there were four cricket clubs in St. Petersburg.
The Communist Revolution of 1917 put paid to the spread of cricket in Russia as it was seen as a game of the "bourgeois" and playing it was discouraged. With the British moving out of St. Petersburg following the Revolution, the game quickly died with them.
Cricket Russia was founded in 2004 by Ashwani Chopra and Mohanjeet Singh Arora with the help of cricket lovers like Vineet Arora, Manish Rana, Samar Shakeel and many others. It gained affiliation to the International Cricket Council on 28 June 2012.
Cricket Russia is the sole and legitimate governing body of cricket in Russia. In March 2012 the first cricket academy was opened in Moscow and at present 50 young native boys, 32 senior native men and 58 native girls are enrolled and are learning the skills of the game. All the rules, regulations and coaching manuals are translated into the Russian language.
Cricket Russia achieved affiliation to the International Cricket Council and reached new heights with the help of Alexey Kylasov, Arvinder Singh, Saqib Shaikh, Mahendra Mapagunaratne, David John Warlond, Abhijat Sawarkar, Alexander Ratner (President of Russian Baseball Federation), Gorman Mathew, Suyogya Sharma and Sergey Kurchenko.
Cricket Russia is also thankful to the MSU baseball stadium for providing the facility to play and learn the game.
The bulk of the players representing the Russian national cricket team are drawn from the Cricket Russia's annual tournament which is played in Moscow.
The Russia national cricket team played their first home representative match against a touring side from North Wales – Carmel & District Cricket Club – at the Moscow State University Baseball Stadium in 2007.
There are also sporadic games of cricket played in St. Petersburg and other cities of Russia.
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