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Cricket advocates back Mesquite Grove Park pitch; offer volunteer-based maintenance suggestions
Summary
Representatives of the Arizona Cricket Association and USA Cricket praised a planned cricket pitch at Mesquite Grove Park and offered maintenance and scheduling recommendations; council members encouraged further written input to staff.
Raghav Savakumar, chairman of the Arizona Cricket Association and chief director of youth cricket programming for USA Cricket, spoke to the Chandler City Council on March 27 in support of a planned cricket pitch at Mesquite Grove Park (agenda item 8).
Savakumar described cricket’s popularity worldwide and in Arizona and urged the city to plan for long-term maintenance and scheduling to preserve the pitch. “A dedicated turf maintenance is very critical, handled by a team trained by cricket pitch care,” he said, and suggested rotational scheduling and separate synthetic practice nets to protect the main playing surface.
Council member Orlando asked Savakumar to submit his recommendations in writing and to work with city staff (John Cefran) on maintenance planning. Orlando also asked how many players and teams the association now supports; Savakumar responded that “we have more than 800 people in Arizona playing cricket” and estimated Chandler participation at about “350 odd.”
City staff said the Mesquite Grove pitch is in initial planning and that detailed maintenance discussions would occur later in the process. No formal council action was taken on the public comment.
Savakumar said the climate in Arizona makes year-round play feasible and that out-of-state organizers have expressed interest in holding tournaments in Chandler once the facility is completed.
