(Trinidad Guardian) Many top local cricketers have found themselves on different teams for the upcoming US Open T20 cricket tournament which offers a first prize of US$100,000.
The US Cricket Open is the annual open-formatted cricket tournament sponsored by Cricket Council USA (CCUSA).
It is scheduled to bowl off on December 4, with the finals carded for December 7. All matches will be played at the Broward County cricket ground in Lauderhill, Florida, which is the only International Cricket Council (ICC) approved ground in North America. The picturesque venue was used for the West Indies versus New Zealand T20 series in 2012.
Organisers have revealed that West Indies leg-spinner Samuel Badree will be making the trip to play for one of the teams. Badree starred at the same venue when the West Indies played New Zealand and actually made his debut for the regional team there.
Also flying across is T&T and Guyana Amazon Warriors all rounder Navin Stewart. He will be playing on a team assembled by owner of the tournament Mohammed Ahmed Qureshi.
Another former key Red Force player Sherwin Ganga will also be playing, as well as other top local players in Nicholas Sookdeosingh, Shazam Babwah and Lincoln Roberts.
The timing of the tournament is scheduled so as to enable all the cricket leagues in the US to finish their seasons and for qualifier tournaments to be played throughout the year, thus culminating with the prestigious US Cricket Open Championship. The venue is America’s first and only Cricket Stadium, located at Central Broward Regional Park .
The organisers anticipate that over 10,000 fans will attend this Cricket Extravaganza over the 4-day period. Qureshi, also known as “Maq,” migrated to the United States in 1984 with little to no means—but he had big dreams. With a strong work ethic and limitless determination, he is now the president and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a successful corporation, MAQ Group, Inc, one of the largest real estate investment and financial groups in the United States. MAQ Group has enjoyed great success by specialising in high-profile commercial real estate investments, financing, development, management and consulting.
MAQ Group also specialised in developing and maintaining fast food franchises and gas stations throughout the state of Florida. MAQ Group owns trademarked brands, such as PetroAmerica, Subco, SuperStop and Bizder. MAQ Group also maintains many significant, national-scale relationships with BP Oil, Shell Oil, Hess, Chevron, CITGO, Marathon and Sunoco, among others.
Ten years ago, Maq’s passion for cricket led him to personally create a private sports and entertainment company named “Cricket Council USA.” With business and three kids whom he spends much of his time with, the “business” of cricket has become an integral part of both his professional and personal life. Maq has held countless cricket tournaments throughout the United States including Texas, Florida, New Jersey, Connecticut and New York known as the “MAQ T20 Tournaments.”
Maq has branded a T20 logo and tag line as well as a line of energy drinks and a clothing/gear line surrounding the hype for the short-action packed game. Maq has also been a long time supporter of the only ongoing T20 Night Cricket Tournament in the United States—the “City of Lauderhill Maq T20 International Night Cricket Tournament” in the City of Lauderhill, Florida (Cricket capital of the US). He wants the game to grow in his new home, just as it is in his land of birth Pakistan. MAQ is not afraid of pumping his funds into cricket development and has even managed the US cricket teams on occasions.
