Americans are Becoming Bowled Over by Cricket

In this year of major sporting events, Americans are getting a special treat with the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup. This may seem a bit strange; America and cricket don’t exactly go hand in hand. But that perception is quickly changing, as cricket is rising in popularity across the US.

While it may be a surprise, nearly half (48%) of Americans are already somewhat familiar with the sport of cricket. And the intrigue is very real, with 31% noting they would watch it in person or on TV if given the opportunity.

We took a closer look at the American view on this global sport and the role immigrants and expats are playing in the growth of US cricket.

The rise of cricket isn’t hitting America for six

Recent research commissioned by Wise surveyed 2,000+ Americans and found that more folks know about cricket than you might think. Many are actually interested in learning more about the sport itself, noting they find appeal in the strategy (32%), pace of the game (29%) and cultural significance (29%, as well as its similarity to baseball (26%). Plus, it seems Americans know cricket is tough to play. Over a quarter (26%) believe cricket players could easily play baseball, while 18% believe baseball players could play cricket. That said, 26% agree baseball and cricket are equally hard sports.

Most importantly, Americans are already making themselves familiar with cricket terminology: nearly half (49%) have heard the term “sticky wicket”. For those who don’t know, “sticky wicket” is used to describe a difficult situation, similar to “sticky situation”. So to use it in a sentence: “That sounds like a sticky wicket”.

The good news is there will be plenty of time to learn more as cricket continues its growth trajectory in the US. There are now six teams in Major League Cricket (which just launched in 2023) and with stadiums popping up across the country — something 74% of Americans support — it’s clear cricket is here to stay.

Expats and immigrants are off their own bats when it comes to cricket’s popularity

But what’s driving its popularity? While cricket is followed by over a billion people, the vast majority of them are in south Asia. Fans in India account for over 80% of cricket’s following globally and cricket is the most popular sport in India. It has a vibrant history in the country and an immensely dedicated following, which has expanded as individuals move from India to other parts of the world.

This includes the US. Nearly 5.4 million South Asians live in America. The Asian population nearly doubled between 2000 and 2019 and is projected to surpass 46 million by 2060. Notably, Indian Americans are the second largest Asian origin group in the US, accounting for 21% of the total Asian population.

Putting those dots together, it’s clear to see that America’s expat and immigrant communities who are passionate about cricket are helping it take hold. In the Wise survey, 1,000 expat and immigrants were specifically asked about their lives in the US. Over two-thirds (69%) of this population noted the rise of cricket is strengthening their connection to home. And nearly one-third (32%) love that there’s a growing interest in non-American sports across the States.

When living in a new place, connections to where you’re from whether through sports or other activities are key. Maintaining cultural identity while in a different country, especially America, is important but also difficult. For expats and immigrants in the US, they also stay close to home by sending money to family and friends living abroad (44%), visiting family and friends abroad (56%), listening to music (53%) and celebrating cultural events (48%).

Unfortunately, it’s not all good innings. Expats and immigrants face a unique set of challenges when it comes to moving to America, culturally and personally. This group noted that the challenges that sit top of mind include access to financial services that meet their international needs (24%), the cost of sending money to family and friends abroad (25%) and lack of understanding about their home culture (22%).

On the other hand, there are still many things this group loves about living in America, including job opportunities and higher salaries (49%), quality of education (43%), being able to support family and friends abroad (40%), and the sense of community (33%).

Managing the sticky wickets of international payments with Wise

There are certainly a number of tricky situations expats and immigrants find themselves in when they move to the US — some might even call these encountering some “sticky wickets”. A big one of those is international payments, as 57% of expats and immigrants in our survey send money to family and friends at least once every three months.

This group certainly has a need for a convenient, affordable and fast international money transfer service. Whether that’s to fuel the international aspects of their cricket fandom or helping out family back home, navigating the many “wickets” (if you will) of international money movement is hard.

That’s where Wise comes in. When using a Wise account to send money internationally you’ll see all fees up front and clearly displayed. Wise uses the mid-market exchange rate so you can be sure there’s no hidden fees*. Plus, you can send, receive, hold and spend your money in multiple currencies.

Maybe you need Wise to help manage your money as you stay in touch with your cricket loving family. Or you want to use it to help bring in more cricket fans within your community stateside. Or you’re keen to learn more about cricket and now you know more about Wise! Whatever the reason, make sure to use Wise for all of your international money movement and management needs — regardless of its cricket related.