A cooperative spirit exists in Utah, where Khan said Salt Lake City officials have been great in terms of maintaining a space for cricket to be played. In turn, the cricket union has been able to teach the sport to several locals, including a doctor and a former baseball player.

"I want to pass my legacy on," said Khan, whose extensive cricket career included stints in Europe, Canada and Jamaica. "We will be very happy to make people knowledgeable about cricket."

For more information, Khan welcomes e-mail at nasirjkhan@aol.com.

"Cricket is the mother sport of baseball. All of our forefathers played cricket," Khan said while noting a growing increase of interest among Americans. "It's getting its popularity like soccer in the U.S.

Junior and senior leagues have been formed in Utah. Cricket clubs now exist in Salt Lake City, Provo, Logan and Davis County. The sport was included in the Samoan Heritage Festival in Kearns earlier this summer and is played in various forms by a variety of groups throughout the state.

The UCA, like other programs in Utah, is hoping to bring about an American renaissance of cricket, a goal enhanced by the creation of a new nationwide professional league that began play over the July 4 weekend in eight cities. The closest franchises to Utah are located in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

"The sport is going through a significant cultural change," said Hooper. "It's basically going from a game that is 1,000 years old and took three to five days to play to being complete within three hours."

Unlike baseball, where pitchers dictate the action, cricket is a hitter's game. Hooper said players hit the ball five or six times more often than in baseball.

"In my opinion, cricket has more to offer kids than any other sport," said Hooper. "The game demands that it be played at a high standard."

Positives are reinforced and celebrated, while negatives are ignored. Taunting opponents and jawing at the umpire are simply not tolerated. Coaches are not permitted on the sidelines. They're relegated to the role of mentor and trainer. In cricket, team captains assign positions and supervise conduct on the field.

"That's not cricket," is yelled whenever anyone deviates from the expected norm.

"It actually instills ethics and values." said Hooper. "It's not just lip service."

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CRICKET 101

There are two teams, with 11 players each.

Instead of four bases, there are only two; in the middle of the field, 66 feet apart.

All running is between the two bases . . . the ball can be hit in front, OR behind . . . or, in any direction.

Instead of rotating batting for nine innings each, each team does all its batting in a single inning.

The team scoring more runs wins the game.

Source: www.seattlecricket.com

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E-mail: dirk@desnews.com