Singapore Keen To Re-Emerge As A Major Cricket Destination

Outgoing International Cricket Council chief Greg Barclay was in the affluent city-state of Singapore earlier in the year.

It’s unclear whether he was there for personal or professional reasons, but Barclay did meet up with several key cricket and sport administrators in Singapore.

Discussions touched on how to make Singapore, where cricket has been played since the 1830s through its British footprint, more of a hub for the sport given its strategic location and financial might.

Singapore did once attract major tournaments, back when ODI tri-series were in vogue and often played in non-traditional cricket countries.

It hosted a trio of tournaments around the turn of the century, with the most famous being in 1996 when Sri Lankan legend Sanath Jayasuriya smashed the then fastest ODI century against India in 1996 and caused mayhem to the highway adjacent to the Singapore Cricket Club.

The magnificent SCC, situated in the city’s colonial heartland, is these days better known as one of Singapore’s most preeminent social clubs.

The 55,000-seat national stadium, the showpiece of the Singapore Sports Hub in Kallang on the south coast of the island, was opened a decade ago and raised hopes of a return of marquee cricket events.

Singapore’s opulent skyline can be seen from some sections of its grandstands and the stadium can host multiple sports to international standards, including cricket with a drop-in pitch.

It has hosted major sports events, including regular soccer games featuring some of the world’s biggest clubs, but, disappointingly, cricket has never been played there.

There were rumors in the early years of the money-spinning Indian Premier League being lured there, with Singapore boasting a strong South Asian culture, while a T20 match between Australia and Sri Lanka was once mooted. During a long period as a cricket nomad, due to security issues at home, Pakistan also considered using Singapore as a base.

But those plans failed to materialize and Singapore fell off the map as a cricket destination.

“We do want major cricket to be played there (national stadium). We have good relations with Sport Singapore (government agency) and use their connections to try to get cricket to the main stadium,” long-time Singapore Cricket Association chief Mahmood Gaznavi told me during an interview in Singapore.

These efforts to promote Singapore have led to talks with representatives from several T20 and T10 franchise leagues. But the Big Bash League is not among them despite a report in the Australian media earlier this year that Singapore could emerge as a possible site for expansion.

“We have not heard from Cricket Australia on an official level, just through the grapevine,” said Gaznavi, who unsuccessfully ran in the recent Associate Member Director election to sit on the all-powerful ICC board.

“We have the facilities to be able to host these overseas franchise leagues.”

Beyond those grandiose visions, Singapore are aiming to rise having slipped down the T20 rankings from a high of 19 when Australian batter Tim David first started turning heads.

ForbesThe Australian Youngster Leading Singapore’s Exciting Cricket RiseBy Tristan Lavalette

Singapore has not had a permanent cricket base since 2016, but recently unveiled a new facility at West Coast Ground with a cricket pitch, nets, gym and sheltered training area.

“We have a lease there until 2029 and can accommodate small scale cricket,” Gaznavi said. “Land is sparse in Singapore, which is a challenge.”

Singapore is also planning to get on the T20 franchise circuit, with a proposed league in the works.

“We are getting the ball rolling,” Gaznavi said. “There are restrictions for Associate countries with how many Full Member players can play and we know that it would probably lose money in the early stages.

“We are wary of that and are realistic that it’s not going to to be the best league in the world. But hopefully it helps cricket’s visibility in Singapore and starts building momentum for the sport here.”