Let’s Hit a Wicket: Cricket in Thailand

Bangkok Cricket League

Cricket is mostly associated with countries that were previously part of the British Empire and, in places such as Southeast Asia, it might not seems such a popular sport. Still, Singapore Cricket Association recently held an inaugural International Women T20 Challenge where Thailand beat Japan by four wickets in the final. Apart from the host country, Thailand, Japan, and Australia also participated but it was the Thai girls who retuned home champions.

For those who are not familiar with the rules of cricket, just imagine a rectangular pitch on which two teams have eleven players each side. Cricket is a bat-and-ball game whose purpose is to try and score as many runs as possible. This can be done by a batsman hitting the ball with his or her bat and then running to the opposite end of the pitch to touch a specially demarcated area called a crease. The player has to do this without being dismissed by his/her opponents, in which case the batsman has to leave the field until the end of an inning, when the teams switch between batting and fielding.

Luckily, Bangkok not only has a few good grounds where you can play cricket, it also has a league setup, which is run by a few extremely dedicated cricketers. The Bangkok Cricket League has been organizing cricket events since 2002. It has three high quality divisions: Premier (40 overs each side and played in one day), A and B (both 25 overs each and played in one day). Although the league is the largest of such kind in Thailand, it is run by volunteers and is completely self-funded. Both the Sports Authority of Thailand and the Cricket Association of Thailand officially recognize it.

Cricket in Bangkok

If you live in Bangkok and love the game of cricket, then joining Siam Cricket Club might be the exact opportunity you’ve been waiting for. The club is also known as “The Parrots,” named after the Bangkok-based bar that houses them, or “The Parakeets,” their female team. The club was founded in 2004 by a group of expat cricketers and is playing today both locally and internationally. The club has roughly 35 playing members and 20 social members.

Siam Cricket Club competes in the Premier and B divisions of the Bangkok Cricket League and usually rotate around the following grounds, all located within the capital city: Asian Institute of Technology (Rangsit), Thailand Cricket Ground (Lat Krabang), Harrow International School  (Don Muang), Polo (Soi Polo on Witthayu Road / Wireless Road) and Royal Bangkok Sports Club (Henri Dunant Road).

Michael Hoolahan is a 34-year-old Thai cricket player who had played cricket at home in Australia for as long as he can remember, but started playing organized cricket around the start of high school. Shortly after he moved to Thailand, around four years ago, he joined the Siam Cricket Club.

Although Siam Cricket Club doesn’t have an official club house, their sponsor over the last few years has been the Green Parrot Bar on Sukhumvit Soi 33. “So we generally go there for committee meetings and gatherings,” said Michael. “We also frequent at the Sport 20-2 Bar on Sukhumvit Soi 22 after games.” The membership costs are not high at all, with only 1,500 baht per annum for playing members, plus a game fee of 200 baht, while social members pay only 500 baht each year.

According to Michael Hoolahan, “The cricket movement in Thailand is going ahead strongly. There are various programs in place by the Cricket Association of Thailand to introduce cricket to the Thai people. These include coaches who travel to schools all over the country to train kids in cricket as well as university scholarships programs for promising junior cricketers promoted by the Sports Authority of Thailand.” To add to that, the Bangkok Cricket League gets bigger and better each year. There are also indoor cricket games being held at the Bangkok Cricket Academy and more recently at the British Club.

The biggest difference between cricket here in Thailand and Australia, where Michael was born, is obviously the number of available grounds where cricket fans and players are actually able to play and train at. “Growing up in Sydney, though it may be changing now, there seemed to be at least two cricket grounds in every suburb. We have maybe five or six grounds in all of Bangkok!” said Michael.

Cricket is a great sport because players of all shapes and sizes can play, and everyone who does play gets involved. “Cricket is unique in that it has elements of both individual and team sports in the one game. While there are always individuals who excel in a game, the team must always play well together to get results,” added Michael. “People should play cricket for the same reason they play any sport. It’s an active game which challenges the mind, body and soul.”

On top of that, it gets people out of the house and into the sunshine and amongst friends. Not to mention that cricket is also a great spectator sport. What better way is there to enjoy lunch with a game of cricket to keep you entertained at the same time?

Michael admitted that anytime he plays for “The Parrots” is a special Thai cricket experience: “We play hard and always within the laws and spirit of cricket and never without a cool beer to reflect on a good day out. It’s a good clean family day with wives, girlfriends and kids, all of whom are encouraged to come along and enjoy a day outdoors.”

Cricket in Pattaya

Simon Philbrook is a 46-year-old British expatriate who is a financial adviser in Pattaya and, once he’s finished with his desk job for the day, he is also the chairman, captain, and founder of Pattaya Cricket Club. He started playing in England when he was only 10 and his first game of cricket in Thailand was played in the Chiang Mai International Cricket Sixes in 1989. But, he has started playing regularly since 2010 with the formation of Pattaya Cricket Club (PCC).

PCC was formed in January 2010 and was based at Horseshoe Point. But the club moved to its new ground at the Thai Polo Ground located on the outskirts of the city and games have commenced this October. Their membership number is rapidly approaching 100. There’s a fee of 1,000 baht per annum for players and 500 baht for social members.

In Simon opinion, “Cricket is a globally expanding sport with its hotbed here in Asia and therefore, there is no reason to believe cricket will not become a major sport played here in Thailand. Currently, it is driven largely by the second/third generation Indian/Pakistani Thais but an increasing number of Thais are beginning to play the game, particularly as they are being educated abroad and consequently being introduced to the sport whilst at school, university or college.”

But, Thailand has a long way to go before it will be competitive at a national level for a number of reasons. According to Simon, “the Thai government needs to recognize the sport and support its development with funding. This has happened to a large degree with the new cricket ground and practice facility near the international airport but it is in the schools that the sport needs to be promoted and until a national structured coaching program is introduced to the under 12’s and above, cricket in Thailand will struggle to develop.”

Also there is the issue of the old generation vs the new generation as Simon explains: “Clubs that are already established need to recognize their juniors; there are too many clubs that selfishly satisfy the needs of their senior members whilst offering little or nothing for potential junior cricketers. I genuinely believe the lifeblood of any sport or club comes for the juniors and until this situation is addressed I fear for the development of the sport in Thailand.”

A shining example of how a junior program can be successful is in Chiang Mai. The annual Sixes tournament adopted the junior program with financial support and consequently both boys and girls successfully play the game and have represented the country at various age groups and continue to do so. “However,” emphasized Simon, “it is apparent that without the support of dedicated volunteer coaching this success would not have been possible. Which comes full circle back to funding and government backing.”

The majority of cricket played in Thailand is 11 a side 40 over games or less and Sixes cricket. Nearly all cricket that is televised in Thailand is the shorter versions of the game and consequently the game is played accordingly regardless of the situation. “Being the captain of PCC and more of a traditionalist, it is sometimes horrifying to realize batsmen cannot and will not grind out innings when the circumstances dictate. However, this approach can lead to some extraordinary scores at both ends of the run scoring spectrum – great when it comes off but disastrous when it does not. Therefore, the biggest difference between cricket in Thailand as opposed to England is the experience and exposure. The abilities are exactly the same and, hopefully, with time and the right guidance and support, this gap will be narrowed, if not bridged. But, we still have a long way to go,” explained Simon Philbrook.

Cricket is a sport for everyone and anyone regardless of age, sex or ability. At Pattaya Cricket Club, the cricket is always fun and enjoyable as well as competitive and everyone is welcome. “As a sport, it is unique in offering a team environment that has to play as an individual. Also, it is ideal for instilling discipline and respect for all ages and backgrounds, however there are times when some individuals sometimes forget this,” added the Club’s Chairman.

Speaking of his personal Thai cricket experiences, Simon said: “Cricket in Thailand has provided me an amazing array of experiences and undoubtedly my proudest moment was the first game Pattaya Cricket Club played in January 2010 against the British Club Bangkok. As leader of the Club, I realized it represented a culmination of a lot of hard work and dedication of a team of like-minded individuals that signified the start of what we all hope will be a long and successful history of the Club.”

Cricket in Chiang Mai

Further up north, cricket is being promoted to school children by Chiang Mai Cricket Foundation, a sports organization that also incorporates the Chiang Mai School Cricket Alliance, which has been active since the year 2000.

David Walker is a 64-year-old retired British cricket aficionado who is now living in Chiang Mai. He started playing cricket as a young child as his father played some league cricket in England. “He coached me and taught me the basics of how to bat and bowl,” remembered David.

Although when David came to Thailand his days of playing serious cricket were over, he continued to play in friendly games. “If I can, I help with any umpiring duties when needed,” he added. He is now a proud member of Chiang Mai Cricket Sixes, one of the world’s most popular amateur cricket tournament.

Most of the games that David is involved in now take place at Chiang Mai Gymkhana Club which is located just outside of the old city and alongside the Ping River. Apart from having a beautiful cricket ground, it is the oldest sports club in Thailand, with a history going back to 1898. The club has about 400 members and the cricket games played there are all limited overs games and can be anything between 20 – 50 overs in length.

Over the ten years that David Walker has been living in Thailand, the game of cricket has grown dramatically throughout the country particularly in the schools. “Great progress has been made with many new grounds and practice facilities now available. We are lucky in Chiang Mai to have several excellent and dedicated cricket coaches which explains why we have so much success in the National Championships,” said David.

When comparing cricket to his home country, David admitted that “cricket in the UK is the National Summer Sport and is still taught in many schools throughout the country, but here in Thailand it is only played in a few schools scattered around the country.”

One of David’s most successful achievements regarding cricket in Thailand is the fact that one of the first young girls that he coached in Chiang Mai back in 2004 as a ten year old, is now captaining the U-19 Thailand Ladies Team and is having great success with bat and ball around the world. “This just shows you that cricket is a game for everybody. It breaks down all social barriers and teaches players patience, honesty and respect for others of all abilities,” concluded David.

Also, if you are headed down south, then you can join the tournaments organized by Phuket International Cricket Sixes which has been running games since 2004.

 Part of this article was initially published in “Bangkok Trader” (December 2012, Vol. 7, No. 1)