After PM Modi’s offer, new cricket move across the Commonwealth

As part of the new initiative, government representatives, diplomats, celebrities and religious leaders will join a series of exhibition matches, beginning with two at Lords and Indian Gymkhana Club this month.

The Commonwealth on Tuesday announced a new “Peace at the Crease” initiative across the 53-country group, weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered India’s facilities to train youngsters at the April meeting of heads of government in London.

India’s idea is to reach out to smaller countries that do not have  similar cricket facilities and access to coaches, and lay a network for what will be the future generation of the Commonwealth. (Getty Images)

Modi’s offer to train 30 boys and 30 girls under the age of 16 every year with the help of the Board of Control for Cricket in India was widely welcomed. A legacy of colonial rule, cricket is one of the most popular sports in the Commonwealth.

India’s idea is to reach out to smaller countries that do not have similar cricket facilities and access to coaches, and lay a network for what will be the future generation of the Commonwealth.

As part of the new initiative, government representatives, diplomats, celebrities and religious leaders will join a series of exhibition matches, beginning with two at Lords and Indian Gymkhana Club this month.

Commonwealth secretary general Patricia Scotland said: “One of my fondest childhood memories is standing on a home-made pitch, cricket bat in hand, heart pounding with excitement, praying to hit a six.

“We have seen how well-designed sport for development and peace initiatives can contribute to healing and post-conflict reconciliation processes.”

Participants of the exhibition matches will play for “Commonwealth Cricketing Cups”. The matches will feature special initiatives and modifications aimed at maximising the best qualities of cricket.

Prajapati Trivedi, director of the Commonwealth’s Economic, Youth and Sustainable Development Directorate, said: “This new cricket initiative is not only helping us to boost our work in this area, it is also a platform to promote and fund-raise for other important related initiatives such as our ‘Faith in the Commonwealth’ programme, which is creating a group of young people as change agents for interfaith understanding and global citizenship.”