Mumbai: Alongside the E66 freeway that connects Dubai with Al-Ain within the United Arab Emirates stands a newly constructed baseball stadium. It caters to a sport common in the USA and Japan, however largely alien in India. In November, although, the sporting oasis within the desert might be house to an Indian franchise set to compete within the inaugural season of Baseball United.
Baseball United is hoping to offer one other avenue for budding cricket gamers and as a substitute of competing with its dominance. (Baseball United)
The competitors is the primary skilled baseball league that can look to have interaction the Center East and South Asia area. Although nonetheless within the nascent stage of planning, the competitors is slated to function 4 groups – the Mumbai Cobras, Karachi Monarchs, Arabia Wolves and Mid East Falcons.
The match was based on an thought introduced by former Main League Baseball (MLB) Corridor of Famer, Barry Larkin, who is taken into account one of many best gamers of his era.
“He came to me and said there’s an opportunity for us to take baseball outside of the US,” Baseball United CEO and chairman Kash Shaikh instructed HT. “It was our simple hypothesis that if we could inspire just some of these cricket fans to fall in love with America’s pastime of baseball, a sport that you still hit, run, catch, throw – the same fundamentals as cricket – then we could really grow something special.”
This isn’t the primary time baseball has tried to make inroads within the Indian market. In 2008, Dinesh Patel and Rinku Singh gained a actuality present known as The Million Greenback Arm, and have been signed up by MLB outfit Pittsburgh Pirates.
Shaikh asserted that Baseball United, although seeking to discover a foothold in India, just isn’t competing with cricket. As an alternative, they hope to offer one other avenue for budding cricket gamers.
“Those 11 places in the Indian national (cricket) team are the most coveted spots across the country,” Shaikh mentioned. “But just because you aren’t able to make it, does not mean you don’t have the talent. There’s a lot of levels of cricket, we wanted to create another pathway, another opportunity for people who love cricket to learn baseball. There is so much passion for sport in India, particularly with bat and ball.”
In the intervening time, the organisers are nonetheless in quest of potential house owners of the 4 franchises, and Shaikh defined that also they are in talks with potential broadcast companions.
“We’re just starting to explore selling the franchises now,” he mentioned. “A lot of folks from Hollywood and Bollywood have been reaching out to us about interest in the teams, particularly Mumbai.”
As for the gamers themselves, a significant chunk might be former MLB draft picks. There are anticipated to greatest gamers from Sweden, Lithuania, and Cameroon, to call a number of, coming in as properly. Round 10% of the spots within the 4 groups are for “prospects from India, Pakistan, (West Asia), areas that are learning the game.”
Because it stands, Baseball United’s first match of the season might be one which performs to the cricketing gallery – a conflict between the Indian and Pakistani franchises. A primary massive splash within the Arabian desert.