Hall of Fame Inductees, Class of 2015 !
Clockwise : Hardik Jogani (Rutgers),Sai Ramesh (USF),Jai Patel (York U), Mohammed Kamran (Montgomery), Akeem Dodson (York College)
The American College Cricket Hall of Fame Class of 2015, presented by Dream11, was announced today by Lloyd Jodah, ACC Founder & President. 5 cricketers who first played in American College Cricket in 2011 or before, and 6 notable contributors in the Non-Player category. This the 3rd Year for the Hall of Fame, players are eligible after their 4 th year of participation in American College Cricket and qualification is based on their on, and off the Field performances in ACC only. Shiv Chanderpaul launched the Hall of Fame in Dec 2012 at a function in NYC.Below are synopses of their contributions.
PLAYERS – Hall of Fame Class of 2015 ,
Hardik Jogani (Rutgers)
Jai Patel (York University – National Champion 2010)
Sai Ramesh (USF – National Champion 2014)
Akeem Dodson (York College- National Champion 2012)
Mohammed Kamran (Montgomery College – National Champion 2009)
NON-PLAYERS – Hall of Fame Class of 2015
Dr E Gordon Gee
Ray Kelly
Jim White
Nicola Kille
Bassett Thompson
Delores Sheen
JIM WHITE
December 2008 Lloyd Jodah, Founder & President of the newly formed American College Cricket, was walking near Wall St (where he worked) when someone called him from England. Lloyd had recently announced on Facebook that there was going to be an American College Cricket Spring Break Championship. Jim White worked for Cricketworld, an English cricket website and he volunteered to promote the Championship, and publish any articles provided by Lloyd. This was on the basis on just a Facebook announcement !
Over the next few years American College Cricket articles were featured on Cricketworld.com, often on the Home Page and sometimes next to major International cricket news. This continued for a while even after Jim left Cricketworld. This coverage was particularly important as it demonstrated Jim’s foresight in recognizing a new force in world cricket, even as Cricinfo & other cricket website, even in America continues to ignore American College Cricket. Though ACC was focused on developing the game in America, it was useful to let the cricket world know about it.
Jim’s early support was invaluable and his interest in American College Cricket has continued,he will be a major contributor to the American College Cricket World Cup for University teams from around the world, and our Tour to England next year.
Dr. E. GORDON GEE
In 2010, just our 2nd year American College Cricket began Regional Championships : the Mid West, North East, Mid Atlantic, South East and West Coast. The Mid West was the first, with the final day of play happening at the Ohio State University on-campus field. OSU Cricket Club President Romel Somavat said he invited Dr Gee. To our delight Dr Gee showed up, present the Trophy, and agreed for it to be named after him. In addition he agreed to be on the Advisory Board of American College Cricket. Any one of these actions would have demonstrated tremendous support for an organisation in its infancy – together they were enormous !
The American College Cricket Mid West Championship is played every year for the Gordon Gee Trophy, and Dr Gee (now President of West Virginia University) continues to be a member of the American College Cricket Advisory Board.
RAY KELLY
-was NYPD Commissioner when the NYPD United (Youth) Cricket League was started, as part of the NYPD’s Community Outreach Program. Commissioner Kelly gave his full support – the Champion’s Trophy was named the Ray Kelly Trophy, and no matter all his other responsibilities taking care of the safety of New York city, Kelly showed up for the Opening Ceremonies every year, and then would return for the Trophy Presentation to end the season. He took time to take photos with the players and spectators.
Every year he also welcomed American College Cricket President Lloyd Jodah to the Opening & Closing Ceremonies, taking time to chat with Lloyd about American College Cricket, and ensuring he posed for photos with Lloyd, tangible demonstration of his support for cricket and American College Cricket.
Whilst other Police Officers took care of the day to day running of the NYPD Youth League, having the Commissioner give his, and the NYPD’s, institutional support to the game was invaluable.
NICOLA KILLE
Nicola has been the force behind the Wooster Cricket Club, marshaling funding for the club to get to the National Championship in 2010 & Regionals every year, and she has been involved in other activities such as a cricket workshop, cricket dinner & other club activities.
But Nicola and Club President Maaz Khan took things to an extraordinary level when they organized the record-breaking cricket match for Homecoming (Oct 2010) in which a College of Wooster team, featuring current players and alumni, beat a team from the Wooster Community, and drew a record crowd of over 900. Most importantly this was the first time that a cricket game was a part of Homecoming at any American university (unless it happened in the 1800s !). The Homecoming cricket match has become an annual tradition at Wooster.
Nicola oversees the Press Releases related to the Club and they have often resulted in significant coverage for the team and the College, including the placement of Ian Carlin, as a “Face in the Crowd” in the Jan 31, 2011 Sports Illustrated issue preceding the Super Bowl. This was recognition for Ian winning the John Bart King Award given by American College Cricket. In March 2011 Wooster Cricket Club was named Team of the Year by American College Cricket for the College’s promotion of the sport, and in 2014 Ian Carlin was inducted into the ACC Hall of Fame, with an honorable mention going to the staff (including Kille) that supports the team.
For her work with the Wooster Cricket Club and American College Cricket as a whole she was invited to be a member of the American College Cricket Advisory Board.
BASSETT THOMPSON
– has been Commissioner of the New York City High School Cricket League, officially the PSAL ,since its inception in 2008. Whereas previous generations of ‘cricket kids’ were lost to the game because of no opportunities to play, the NYC High School League has given NYC teenage cricketers a wonderful opportunity to stay in the game, this in turn is a rare victory for cricket in America.
The PSAL Cricket League has also been another reason for NYC to support the making of more cricket fields around the city. True it has been limited in its growth (28 teams now play but many more want to) because of resources, and there’s a lot more to be done but what it has accomplished so far has made it a jewel in the crown of world cricket.
American College Cricket President Lloyd has been a staunch supporter of PSAL Cricket,and met Bassett at the Finals in May 2009 when they were both featured in a major NY Daily News article. The American College Cricket website featured PSAL Cricket news for years, and Bassett in turn offered valuable support to American College Cricket on occasion.
DOLORES SHEEN
– or ‘Aunt Dolores’ opened the door to inner city youth cricket, with David Sentance, in 1995. She has remained steadfast in support of cricket, making it part of the curriculum at Sheenaway School for the past 20 years, in Watts ! This has helped shaped kids over the years, and helped pave the way for our Compton initiative now being carried forward by Hall of Famers Mustafa Khan and David Sentance, and before his illness, Coach Pickens.
Sheenway trained cricket kids have supported the expansion of the game in Los Angeles by playing and leading the opening ceremonies at such events as the Australia A v India A games held at Woodley Cricket Complex in 1999. They are often in American College Cricket events such as the UCLA vs Claremont Colleges game- the first cricket match to be played in Compton,and Cricket Clinics. On August 27 the Sheenway Serendipity School Cricket club played a friendly cricket game vs youth from the Sheriff’s Dept Youth Activity Center who were now participating in the American College Cricket Compton program.
Efforts have begun at South West College to start a cricket club, and potentially introduce a cricket course in the curriculum.
HARDIK JOGANI (Rutgers)
As Rutgers Club President Hardik was contacted by TV Asia for a piece on the Rutgers club. He then provided the link up with TV Asia and American College Cricket President Lloyd Jodah. This led to the revolutionary partnership that brought regular cricket to TV in America, and eventually ESPN.
TV Asia plus Coca Cola invested over $ half Million in broadcasting 36 matches, including 1 on ESPN3 over the next 2 1/2 years, providing a platform for young players in America way beyond even the web streams American College Cricket had pioneered in the USA & Canada in early 2010 and 2011. The impact for the game will be recognized in years to come, and Hardik Jogani was a vital catalyst.
SAI RAMESH (USF)
– is the only American College Cricket player to score multiple centuries in our National Championships. He first played for USF in 2010 then transferred to UCF, where he was motivated by Lloyd Jodah to start a cricket club. There he also managed a visit by icon Shiv Chanderpaul, arranged by Lloyd.
Sai reverted to playing for USF and was the Nationals’ MVP in 2012 with an extraordinary all round performance. However USF continued their record of getting to the Semis or Finals without winning the Big Game. For the 2013 South East Regionals however, Sai took over the Captaincy, and USF players and fans were ecstatic winning the South East Championship !.
Buoyed with this success, and another MVP performance from Ramesh, USF Bulls won the National title in 2014, and was featured prominently on the college’s website Home page. Media in India also celebrated the win.
Sai played in 2015 under a new Captain at the 2015 Nationals,demonstrating the democratic ‘change of power’ that prevails in our clubs. He top scored, including a century and 85 as USF was eliminated by Drexel.
AKEEM DODSON (York College)
– was part of the newly formed York College Cricket club that stormed the 2010 ACC Championship, playing on the first webstream of cricket ever in America. For the first time Dodson’s lightening work behind the stumps could be seen on video.
Additionally He scored 3 fifties to help get his team to the Finals where York University defeated York College to win the Chanderpaul Trophy.
Dodson returned in 2012, and was again York College’s top player, with the bat, and behind the stumps. His extreemly quick hands and his athleticism made him a terminator behind the wicket. His 78 in 49 balls with 5 sixes and 4 fours plus his 2 Stumpings and a run out effectively won the Finals, and York College took home the Chanderpaul Trophy as the National Champion.
Dodson eventually got his chance to play for the American Men’s team long after he should have, and in July 2015 set a T20 World Cup Qualifier Record for the most Dismissals by a Wicket keeper or Fielder, 6.
JAI PATEL (York University)
The opening performances of Jai Patel and Khushroo Wadia in 2010 helped York University win the Championship and earned the pair the designation of our
Jai Patel scored 53, 48, 44 and 37 and then in the Finals blasted 48 out of 78 for the opening partnership with Khushroo Wadia to get York University off to a winning start. Patel was adjudged the Championship’s MVP,
At the 2010 Championship Khushroo had scores of 4, 75*, 38,22, 78 and 54 for a total of 271, average 54.2 so in practically every game they opened together they got York University off to a great start.
He repesented UAE in the Asia Cup at the Under 15 level scoring 93 in the Finals vs Bahrain and went on to represent UAE at the Under 17 and Under 19 level against Ireland, Scotland and Malaysia. In 2007 Jai Patel was selected for a High Performance Course at the MRF Academy, Chennai, India, from June 25th to July 4th, 2007.
Whilst there Jai got the opportunity to face Mitchell Johnson and Irfan Pathan in the nets., “I really enjoy playing in Florida. It was a great honor and pride being part of the 2010 York University Winning Team. The Spirit of the game was at the best level and everyone played as a team.”
Interestingly enough though an American permanent resident, Jai chose to go to University in Canada, and thus played for York University.
MOHAMMED KAMRAN (Montgomery College)
– was a part of the pioneering Montgomery College team that played in the first American College Cricket Spring Break Championship in 2009. That Band of Brothers who put their faith in a cricket dream announced by a random dude (named Lloyd Jodah) on Facebook.
He opened the bowling with Bhatti for Montgomery. The Montgomery team rampaged through their opponents putting up scores of over 200 then bowling them out. The Finals against USF Bulls was a different story, as the Bulls put MC on the backfoot, A Captain’s knock of 36* by Bhatti kept one end steady whilst Kamran attacked the bowling, raining 6’s over the boundary. His 68* got MC to and effectively won the game, and the Chanderpaul Trophy for them. Kamran was the MVP of the first Nationals’ Finals.
That year Kamran also toured NYC with the National Champion, Montgomery College. He was abroad in 2010 and did not return with the MC team. However the same intinerant spirit that brought him to the first Spring Break Championship has seen him pay his own way to camps to further his cricket career, such as recently when he attended a training with CPL team, Barbados Tridents.
About Dream11 : Dream11.com are the world’s premier Fantasy Cricket website, expanding the reach of the game to non-players. Dream11 was the sponsor of the first American College Cricket USA vs Canada Series on Memorial Day Weekend. It will be an annual Series
