The sport of cricket in Saudi Arabia has been extremely popular for more than five decades, especially among workers from Asian countries.
According to Arab News, cricket is the second most-watched sport in the world after football.
Cricket associations in the kingdom were established in the 1970s, with weekend matches being held in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam.
Cricket is considered to be the most popular sport in South Asian countries which is why most of the Asian expatriates support the game with great passion in the kingdom.
The game is gradually gaining popularity among the residents of Saudi Arabia and its enthusiasts are participating in matches organized under cricket associations.
Given the popularity of the game, the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation was established in 2020 to organize a series to promote the game between locals and foreigners.
The Saudi Arabian Federation introduced the culture of cricket
The softball cricket bat is available between 90 to 240 riyals. Photo Arab News The Saudi Arabia Federation introduced the culture of cricket through many events and tournaments across the kingdom.
Passionate Asian activists of the game say that it was not easy for us to fulfill the dream of playing cricket in the beginning.
It is a sport that requires a lot of equipment to be safe to reach optimal performance levels.
Bats, pads, balls, gloves, and helmets for playing cricket were not readily available, aspiring players used to bring these items from their home countries.
There are now some cricket kit shops in the kingdom that include cricket training equipment and ground preparation equipment in addition to the players’ protective equipment.
Many shops in Riyadh carry cricket-related items. The star player of the Saudi cricket team, Abdul Waheed, has said that cricket-related goods are available in many shops in the Hay Al-Wazirat, Shamisi, and Manfuha areas of Riyadh.
Abdul Waheed said that if you want the required equipment not available or want a better quality brand, it is ordered from Pakistan or India which takes a few days.
These stores provide quality equipment and also offer discounts if generic equipment or brand-name equipment is required for training exercises in large quantities.
Many players of the Saudi cricket team buy from the same shops.
Ikramullah Khan, the manager of Sialkot Sports, a shop that sells cricket equipment in Riyadh’s Hai-ul-Wazirat area, has said that we have been selling cricket equipment here for the past 22 years.
In the beginning, fulfilling the dream of playing cricket was not easy. Apart from Photo Arab News Hardball and Softball cricket-related items, we also have trophies available.
We can order branded goods that are not immediately available but most of the goods we keep in stock.
Softball cricket bats are generally available between 90 And 240 Riyals, while hardball cricket bats range from 350 to 1600 Riyals.
After the establishment of the Saudi Cricket Federation, the popularity of cricket in the kingdom has increased more than ever.
