Fans and players of a sport with over a billion followers worldwide will have a place to enjoy the game closer to home when a new cricket field opens next month.
The facility in Boulan Park in Troy will open on May 14 after years of finding a location, financing and building the field.
Cricket is second to only soccer in global popularity with an immense following in Great Britain and former colonies Australia, India and Pakistan.
The sport is growing in popularity in the U.S., and the Boulan Park cricket ground is one of a handful of regulation pitches, or wickets, in the country.
Troy resident Vinodh Mudaliar runs the Michigan Youth Cricket Academy, which holds cricket camps in the area, and wrote a proposal to the city in 2021.
The proposal contained the needed parameters for a regulation cricket field, demographics of residents in the area who would use it and sites where it could be built.
“When I moved here in 2007, people were already asking about where a cricket field could be built because of the South Asian population in the area,” he said. “There has always been a great interest in it here in Troy.”
“I think this is something residents in our area have been looking for for a couple of decades now,” said Troy Mayor Ethan Baker.
Asians and South Asians make up about 30% of Troy’s residents. South Asia includes countries like India and Pakistan, where cricket is popular.
According to Tayefur Rahman, chairman of the Michigan Cricket Association, the field in Troy will be unique because of how it is built.
“This facility will feature the first hybrid pitch in the state, marking a major advancement in local cricket infrastructure. Currently, existing pitches used by the association are constructed with astroturf laid over concrete,” said Rahman. “While this approach is practical given Michigan’s weather conditions and maintenance considerations, it does not replicate the playing characteristics of a traditional cricket surface.”
The project broke ground at the park in September 2024 with the total cost covered through a $900,000 grant from the state.
Photo courtesy City of Troy
A “pitch” is a rectangle of ground typically covered in a much shorter layer of grass than the rest of the field and serves as the surface where bowlers deliver the ball and batters play their shots.
Most fields currently used around the state are multi-sport, meaning players must install their own pitch, a mat made of synthetic turf, each time they play. The Boulan Park field will have a built-in pitch providing for more consistent conditions.
There are no fixed dimensions for a cricket field or ground, but it is typically an oval-shaped area, 450–500 feet in diameter, featuring a central 22-yard pitch.
The new field in Troy will feature sight screens at opposite ends of the oval to provide the batters a clear view of the bowler’s deliveries, dugouts and a scoreboard.
IMMEDIATE IMPACT
When Tayefur Rahman joined the Michigan Cricket Association in 2021, there were 68 teams participating. For the 2026 season there are 109 teams.
Regular league matches are held every weekend, from the first week of May through the last weekend of September. In addition to league play, the association also organizes tournaments and events, particularly between June and August.
“Overall, the facility would see consistent and high-frequency use throughout the cricket season, supporting both regular league operations and special events,” said Rahman. “By introducing this type of facility, players in Michigan will be better prepared for regional and national tournaments, ultimately elevating the standard of cricket across the state and supporting the sport’s continued growth.”
Mudaliar said the academy will also be using the new field whenever possible.
“It had reached a point nationally where Troy was behind when it came to cricket, but now we are going to be the model,” he said. “Everything is in place to conduct an international game here.”
Mayor Baker hopes to build the game locally.
“We accept it will be busy and there will be a high demand for it as it relates to tournament style play, but our priority is to make sure the children and the residents of Troy get to use it because it is their park,” he said.
Former city councilwoman and current County Commissioner Ann Erickson Gault has been an advocate for the park since her time on the council.
“There will not be a day that goes by that people will not be out there using that field,” she said. “We can literally bring in International games. There can be some immense events happening at that cricket field.”
The new facility will feature sight screens, a permanent pitch and a scoreboard.
Photo courtesy Matt Fahr
Media News Group
DIVINE INTERVENTION
When Vinodh Mudaliar submitted his proposal for a cricket field, three different locations had the space needed. Boulan Park was the best option.
Unfortunately, there was an oak tree growing in the middle of the area where a field could be built.
“They (the city) said the tree was 200 years old and they couldn’t touch it and everyone made up their mind that it would be built at Raintree (Park),” said Mudaliar.
He said although the field would fit in Raintree Park, netting would need to be put up along John R Road, taking up a significant portion of the budget for the project.
Things soon changed.
“There was an old and wonderful big tree that was squarely in the way and by a fluke or a miracle, mother nature took care of that tree and opened up this opportunity and we were able to run with it,” said Baker, of the tree that was eventually removed because it was in poor health.
“People claimed to me it was either that lightning struck it or it was blown down and it was kind of fate,” said state Rep. Sharon MacDonell.
It was MacDonell (D-District 56) who lobbied on behalf of the city and applied for a state grant for the construction of the field. It was approved in 2024 for $900,000, which covered the cost of the project and a groundbreaking ceremony was held in September 2024.
The actual reason the oak was removed was due to the poor health of the tree, but it will remain as part of the lore of the new field.
“The stars aligned with the planning and all the people who worked hard for the field and with what ended up happening with that tree,” said Mudaliar. “To say this is a dream come true is an understatement.”
MacDonell was credited by several people for making the concept of a cricket field in Troy a reality.
“It really wasn’t going anywhere until Representative MacDonell was able to get that wonderful grant from the state,” Erickson Gault said. “That really got the ball rolling, but there were a lot of people involved in making sure it happened.”
“She was instrumental in getting this done and communicating with all the right people,” said Mudaliar.
He added that former state Rep. Padma Kuppa and current Troy Public Works Director Kurt Bovensiep also helped bring the project to fruition.
“So many people cared about this and worked hard over the years and they just couldn’t get it over the finish line,” said MacDonell. “I was lucky to help with the final assist to get it done. Our South Asian community has only grown (in Troy), so it is great to say to those people that you belong and you are part of our community too.”
“Overall, this facility is not just a field, but a long-term investment in the future of cricket in Michigan, serving players, families, and the broader community for years to come,” said Rahman.
“The stars aligned with the planning and all the people who worked hard for the field and with what ended up happening with that tree,” said Mudaliar. “To say this is a dream come true is an understatement.”