HOME RUNS OVER SIXES

A white American cricketer? It is easier to find a needle in a haystack

- LAVINA MELWANI

IN A NATION OBSESSED with baseball, basketball and American football, cricket has been like a stepchild, a non-starter, a mere question, "What is that?" While South Asians are one of the fastest growing segments of the American population, and there are many players from former Commonwealth countries, is the sport catching on with the mainstream?

Some white commentators in the media have written about attending the World Cup matches and they have marvelled about the carnival atmosphere, the lively music and the fact that the concession stands offer chicken tikka masala and samosas along with the standard hot dogs and popcorn. But, when it comes to finding avid white fans-or fans of any colour-who are besotted with cricket or play as a pro, it is like hunting for a needle in a haystack.

Bernard Bercik, a 16-year-old cricketer, has actually left his country in search of greener pastures. A true-blue American, he left because he was not getting anywhere in his quest. He has actually done a reverse American Dream migration to the Netherlands, where he plays for The Royal Den Haag cricket club.

Bernard is of Hungarian and Irish descent; his father was a colonel in the US army once deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. His mother worked with the US navy. There is no cricket heritage in the family. "My father has never picked up a bat," says Bernard. "My mom has never picked up a bat. They did not even know what cricket was. They just cared about what their son cared about. They were willing to do anything to make me happy."