‘They’re big, bad bullies’: New York’s bitter fight over a 34,000-seat cricket stadium

The mayor wants to build a new international home for the sport. But local players and Bronx residents aren't happy with the plan

In Bangalore, Ajith Shetty's life revolved around cricket. Playing since childhood, he'd captained his college squad, then company teams after starting a career in IT. But in suburban Long Island, where he moved for a job 17 years ago, mentioning the sport only drew blank stares. To cope with the isolation, he and a handful of other immigrants would play makeshift games in the dirt of baseball diamonds.

Then he discovered New York City's sprawling Van Cortlandt Park. Amid the cacophony of the Bronx, it was a tree-ringed oasis, blessed with rare cricket fields. But the grounds were cramped and uneven, sending the ball bouncing awry. To create a proper surface, Shetty and other players had to roll out massive mats, which required six men to lug to and from a distant parking lot every game - a brutal hour-long round trip.