When I initially came to ITMO University, I was astonished by the environment that surrounded me. I had never seen such an array of cultures and events. Whether it be football or volleyball, basketball or table tennis, students had plenty of chances to get involved. But there was one thing missing: cricket. For us who come from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Indonesia, and various other countries around the world, cricket is more than simply a sport. Cricket is actually a bridge that helps us connect ourselves to others as we reminisce and feel at home. For us, whether it is the sound of the bat meeting the ball or simply the cheers of others as they watch a six being made, there's an emotion attached to it. That's when I had a spark of an idea. Why not have a Cricket Club at ITMO?

Photo courtesy of the author

The beginning: from an idea to a movement

It began very casually. I discussed it with some of my friends, who were also passionate about cricket. The reaction turned out to be very positive. We made a group on WhatsApp to gauge the level of interest. I kept expecting the list to stop growing daily, but it didn’t. Within weeks, more than 40 students had enrolled. These students came from varied academic backgrounds and cultures but were united by one thing: their shared dream. That's when it dawned on me that it mattered not just to me and thus our dream had begun. We decided that we better take it seriously. We set up a club committee and organized everything. We also drafted a proposal for the KronBars sports club. In that document, we discussed goals, community significance, as well as the way cricket can fit into the already lively student life at ITMO.

The first steps and the first challenges

The next step that followed was to arrange a meeting with the KronBars sports committee. The KronBars sports committee oversees all the sports clubs at ITMO. I made an official request and got invited to talk about it. In addition to that, we had meetings to let them in on our plans. We actually had a full team, equipment that I had brought from Bangladesh, and the zeal to train and start participating in tournaments. The KronBars team liked our fervor, but there was a problem: space. Cricket requires a bigger area than indoor games. We discussed some probable solutions such as the Lomonosova 9M area or some nearby complexes. Alas, none of them were free for existing teams. The university also didn't possess a ground that could be used for practicing cricket. Holding practices at another location wasn’t an option, since it had been decided that there were no funds to spend on that. Therefore, at the moment, we still have an unofficial club awaiting confirmation and support. At first, it was quite disappointing, but I realized the circumstances. The university has very limited infrastructure for various sporting events, and playing cricket in Russia is a relatively new phenomenon. However, we didn’t want to give up.

Playing without a ground

Despite the absence of an official training ground for us to meet and train regularly at, hope didn’t dwindle in the hearts of my teammates. We began organizing casual meetings in either open parks or car parks.

And then came an unexpected opportunity.

A few weeks ago, we found out that there's a cricket tournament organized by the State University of Land Use Planning in Moscow. The tournament involved twelve teams from various parts of Russia, mostly representatives from various universities. We were determined to come, regardless of whether that meant doing everything on our own. No sponsor at all, no university support — just our love for the game. We managed the transport and equipment on our own and went to Moscow as Team ITMO. Although our university wasn't aware of our participation at that point, we represented ITMO proudly. That experience wasn’t forgotten, either. We played with passion, encouraged each other, and became the runner-up team in the whole tournament. We were standing there holding that trophy and dressed in ITMO colors on handmade T-shirts. We were proud not only of our achievement, but also that we had made this dream come true.

Building more than just a club

For me, the ITMO Cricket Club is not only about cricket. It is about building a bridge between cultures. When we play together, it doesn’t matter who comes from where: Bangladesh, India, or Nigeria. We’re all part of the same team. This serves as a form of integration for international students to bond with ITMO and Russia. For some students, it could serve as a solution to homesickness, stress, and loneliness. I have seen friendships develop that extend beyond the area of study. We celebrate each other's victories, help each other through exams, and organize meetups on the weekends. Sport has the remarkable ability of establishing a sense of community quicker than any language.

The nicest thing is that some of the Russian students have been expressing interest in our club as well. They usually come around and ask us for the rules or maybe participate in a quick practice. Finally, it seems like cricket may start getting a foothold within St. Petersburg as well, perhaps thanks to ITMO.

What's next for us

At the moment, we are still trying to communicate with the KronBars committee in order to get an official response and a place to train. We do not ask for much. Just a place to train, play some games, and represent ITMO at tournaments. We have already demonstrated that we possess the ability to organize ourselves and conduct our business in a mature manner.

We have also begun to develop our online presence through our VK page and a form that subscribers can use to register new students. Week by week, more and more students are registering. Our ambition is to set up an annual ITMO Cricket Cup for universities from Russia to compete. In addition to that, we want to offer workshops for beginners so that anyone who has never picked a cricket bat in their life gets to enjoy playing the game.

A journey worth taking

I tell those who ask me why I put such work into something that is not yet ratified that it's quite simple: it's an important thing. Its significance includes the 40+ students who found a remote corner of home here. It matters to those who believe that passion can create opportunity. And it matters to me, as it shows me the potential of a small concept reaching fruition when everyone gets behind it.

Of course, we face challenges. We still have not received the appropriate venue, equipment, and support. However, at the same time, we already have everything that truly matters: those who care enough to keep it alive. That's what keeps me going. In the near future, I hope that I get to watch cricket being included in the sports culture of ITMO. The day that comes true, I will look back at the early days of promoting cricket at ITMO and smile. Because every great story starts small. And our story began with only a bat, a ball, and a dream.