Key takeaways:
- Beginners earn a social network through an association based in Park Ex.
- The Montreal Badshashs and Indian Stars pose for a photograph from the previous weekend’s season-opening game.
The cricket area in Jarry Park isn’t just a place to play one of the world’s most popular games.
“This is a place, particularly for people new to Quebec, to socialize and network,” states Mehboob Rehman, president of the Montreal Cricket Association.
Rehman came to Montreal from Pakistan when he was 14 years old and has seen how the park’s actual cricket field became a much-needed social play for fans of the game.
“I’ve seen people get employment in this league and support each other blend into this region,” he says.
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The association was formed 25 years back by fans wanting to play on a field in their community as part of a competitive league. It’s based in Montreal’s Parc-Extension neighborhood, with many players nearby, but others come from all over the island and beyond, including Laval.
Abuz Khalid, 22, is one of those who saw friends and employment options playing cricket. He came to Canada from Pakistan in 2017 to stay with his aunt and uncle and is now a permanent citizen.
When Khalid came, it was winter, and he had no belief that people in Montreal played his favorite sport. He knew about the league from a family friend and has played competitively.
“I had no friends for two to three months when I first got here, and now nearly all my friends are from cricket,” states Kahlid. Through his friends in the league, he also found work as a lab mechanic to help himself while he was in school.
Source – cbc.ca
