Steven Taylor attended Miramar High in Broward County, dabbled in all sports during his school years. But as a kid with Jamaican parents, Taylor couldn’t shake the cricket bug.
Friday morning at 10:30 a.m. at Broward Stadium, weather permitting, his dream will come true. Taylor, one of the top players on Team USA, will face Ireland in the first-ever World Cup match played on Florida soil.
“I played baseball, football, soccer, especially basketball – that was my favorite after cricket,’’ Taylor said. “I had a nickname in school ‘Cricket Guy.’ There were a few Caribbean guys who never played it and would say, ‘Why do you like cricket so much? Why do you talk about it so much? It was something I never could explain. To this day, a lot of my old friends text me they were proud I stuck to my game and proud where I’m at.’’
With luck, only Guinness will pour on Friday at Broward Stadium.
“I’m proud being an American,’’ Taylor said. “To wake up here, playing in my hometown, I always dreamed of playing in the World Cup for the US. It’s a great feeling.’’
Cricket World Cup: Nepal’s wild fans heartbroken after rain washes out Florida match
The first World Cup game in South Florida was supposed to be Tuesday between Nepal and Sri Lanka but it got washed away as rainstorms have flooded Broward and Dade counties. Practices Wednesday were halted as players just walked around the cricket ground built in 2007.
“Growing up here, the stadium always had a nice drainage,’’ said Taylor, who has been on the national team since 2010. “Hopefully the next day it won’t rain. But you can’t stop the weather.
“It’s a beautiful venue. It’s South Florida with the best weather although not at the moment, I guess. But it’s going to be a beautiful game. The stadium is beautiful. It’s a high-scoring ground.’’
In its first-ever World Cup, the Americans made global headlines and became water-cool talk in the United States when it posted one of the biggest upsets in cricket history by taking down powerhouse Pakistan last week in Dallas.
With a 2-1 record, USA could advance to the Super 8 stage with a win over Ireland, where cricket is a lot more of a big sport than in America.
Cricket is similar to baseball but never caught on beyond being a niche sport. However, in South Florida, with all its Caribbean transplants, it became a hotbed of sorts with a number of local junior teams.
Now the Americans have a chance to advance to the next stage in the West Indies and stop Pakistan from moving on in the five-team group.
“We’re here to make some upsets, we’re here to play,’’ said Taylor, whose American team posted a mini upset over Canada in its opener. “We have a lot of team camaraderie.’’
With a heavy Irish population here, too, a mixed crowd of Irish rooters and American supporters are expected.
“Ireland’s a good team,’’ Taylor said. “They’re one of the top 12. They’re one of the best in the world. But we played him already in Florida and beat them one game out of two. Some of my family lives in the Dorchester area of Boston where there’s a lot of Irish. So I have some Irish friends there and said they were coming to the game. It should be a good atmosphere. ‘’
In a highly anticipated match, USA lost to powerful India in New York Tuesday but it was close match with only a seven-run separation. Many fans pulled for India.
Asked why cricket had been slow to catch on in the States and primarily is a Southeast Asia and British sport, Taylor said, “It’s similar to soccer where it took time to grow. Over the years of time, people started going to soccer. The more the national team does good, the more it will be out there and more people will see it and like it.’’
Taylor will have a lot of family there, including his father, who will be working as an ICC official. “I’m hoping to give them a good show,’’ Taylor said.
In the Pakistani upset, Taylor made the top defensive play of the World Cup in snaring a seemingly unreachable fly. Fielders can’t wear gloves; it’s all bare hands. “I stuck my hand out,’’ Taylor said. “I was shocked I caught the ball.’’
Ireland also couldn’t practice because of the wet grounds and have been inside in a gym. “It’s good for the game,’’ Ireland captain Mark Adair said of the Americans rise. “But hopefully we can put a halt to it tomorrow.’’
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Cricket World Cup features homecoming for South Floridians on Team USA
