Chappell, Holding boost for American cricket

JAIPUR: So what if cricket isn't that popular a game in the United States of America? The American Cricket Federation, however, isn't ready to think much about that.
On a mission to develop the game in the country, the ACF has now formed a seven-member honorary advisory board.
With the cricket luminaries for the likes of Ian Chappell, Michael Holding, Alvin Kallicharan, Damien Martyn, Nathan Bracken, Stuart MacGill and Niall O'Brien joining the advisory board, the ACF is confident of yielding good results.
Well placed sources confirmed to The Times of India, that apart from giving their suggestions on various issues, the advisory board will also look after the development of the game in America.
Even, the board members admitted that their job would be to help cricket grow. "I've been aware of many attempts to move cricket forward in the USA – I even spent a couple of days with the USA team in Malaysia in 1998 for the qualifying tournament for the ICC World Cup – and I'm also aware that there has been a lot of bickering amongst the different administrations," Ian Chappell was quoted as saying by a Federation statement.
"With that in mind I'm hopeful that the ACF can overcome these difficulties and get the game moving forward in the USA at an improved pace. I look forward to participating on the advisory board with a number of other former international cricketers who all have the game at heart," Chappell added.
If the cricketers are looking forward to a new beginning, ACF CEO Jamie Harrison too is excited about the road ahead. "We are delighted to have the support of these legendary cricketers as we move forward with the ACF mission to develop the game in the United States.
The breadth of knowledge and experience that these individuals bring to the table will be of great value to us as we chart the future of cricket in America, and we are thankful for their backing," Harrison said.
In a country where people swear by basketball and soccer, cricket surely is getting a fresh lease of life!