All Stars: The weather gods are going cold for the god of cricket; ticket sales suffer

THE CRICKET ALL STARS are coming to the USA in less than a week's time. Fans in India can't wait to watch their favourite cricketer Sachin Tendulkar go one on one against Shane Warne. But is America ready for it?

It's that time of the year on the East Coast of America, when temperatures drop significantly, strong winds start blowing, leaves fall off and the air is full of infections. Those overcoats and jackets are out, the beanies are back.

What are the chances of Americans going out of the house on a super cold night and watching a game they have no knowledge about? People who follow cricket and play in the local leagues have already stopped playing their weekend matches. Even they wouldn't be looking forward to spend money to sit on a bleacher in such weather.

“Nope. Too cold! 7th November for a ticket on the bleachers? You must be kidding!”, Aravind Gedela, a Tendulkar devotee tells Firstpost's Nikhila Natarajan.

Both Tendulkar and Warne, who retired a couple of years ago, will be captaining a team of some of the best international players of all time. Three exhibition T20 matches will be played in baseball stadiums of New York, Houston and Los Angeles. Other superstars on show will be Pakistani legend Wasim Akram, West Indian great Brian Lara, South Africa's Shaun Pollock and the latest inductee, India's Virender Sehwag among other noted retirees. 

Indian fans would jump at every opportunity that comes their way to watch these legends live in a stadium. India is a relatively hot country and cricket maniacs find it oddly bearable. But in America where single-digit temperatures and heavy winds prohibit you from stepping out, it's highly unlikely that these matches will be uninterrupted by cruel weather conditions first, followed by less crowd in the stands. If the weather forecast is anything to go by, chance of rain on November 7 is a huge 60% with a minimum temperate of 5 degree celsius.

“People are starving for a big cricket event like this,” Ben Sturner, CEO of Leverage Agency, told TIME magazine.

Sure, but cricket is not a new thing in a country that has Asian Americans forming the largest share of immigrants. They may not get to watch larger-than-life events, but the sport is a favourite hobby among families hanging out on weekends at parks that have ample of space to play. 

Extreme weather conditions like these call for a warm blanket and couch at home, not a freezing seat in the stadium with a bird's eye view.