Cricket players push for more pitches in Ottawa as sport’s popularity grows

Cricket is one of Canada’s fastest-growing sports, but there are complaints in Ottawa about a lack of space to play. CTV’s Josh Marano reports.

Cricket players say the city of Ottawa doesn’t have enough fields to keep up with the growing demand, leaving many teams scrambling for space.

For Dawood Latif, captain of the Barrhaven Cricket Club, that means driving nearly 45 minutes from his home, just to play at Rideau Hall.

“It’s a long drive, like 40-45 minutes every single time,” Latif says.

“When we’re going back home, it’s more frustrating too.”

Currently, there are seven established cricket grounds in the national capital region. Latif says the shortage of pitches across the capital makes it tough for teams to find consistent time on the field.

“The grounds are really far from Barrhaven; there’s one ground and mostly they’re occupied. You can’t really play all the time over there,” he explained.

At the Ottawa-Manotick Polo Club, players say they often need to book the field four-to-five months in advance.

Jithender Reddy Kommula, who plays at the club, says the Ottawa-Manotick Polo Club is among few nearby set up properly for cricket, and the pitches are always packed. Other players say they are forced to find other arrangements.

Karthik Reddy says his team is based in Stittsville, where there are no cricket pitches. He adds they often play on school running tracks.

“It’s not a good idea,” Reddy says. “We always put the potholes, we make the dents on the pitch, and we have to fix them.”

Even with the addition of a second pitch in at the Polo Club a few months ago, players say it’s not enough to match the demand.

Reddy Kommula notes some players travel from as far as Arnprior and Kingston just to find a game.

Barrhaven Councillor David Hill raised the issue with Prime Minister Mark Carney over lunch last week, pointing out that solutions will need cooperation from both the city and the National Capital Commission.

“We’re short by probably about seven or eight pitches, which I know the mayor is keen on, I’m keen on. That’s why I’m looking at some solutions that not only impact on municipal land, but also federal land with the National Capital Commission,” Hill said.

“With the growth of cricket players in the community, especially in Barrhaven, we just need to invest more in those resources.”