Cricket in Iran is a fledgling sport growing in popularity, especially with youth and women. The Under-16's promoted to and participated at the ACC U-16 Elite Cup in 2012[1] followed by a participation at the 2014 event.[2] Women's national team promoted to and participated at the ACC Women's Premier Cup in 2014.[3] Iran's playing season runs from September to April. There are 25 cricket clubs.[4]

History

According to F S Ashley Cooper[5] cricket in Iran has been known since 1856 when was first played in Bushire by the British who seized the town in the Anglo-Persian War. Ever since was played by the local Gymkhana, employees of the Indo-European Telegraph Company[6] and teams of Men of War visiting the Persian Gulf.

During the first half of the twentieth century, in South Western Iran was played by the British Armed Forces and the employees of Anglo-Persian Oil Company. They set up cricket teams in Abadan, Masjed Soleyman, Aghajari and Haftkel. Later in the 1940s, due to efforts by Seyed Khalil Kazerooni[7][8] (an Iranian CEO of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company who as a school boy played Cricket for St Peter's School, York team in between 1930 and 1935)[9] local Iranian cricket teams were formed by him in Abadan and himself played regularly.[10]

In Tehran was played by employees of Imperial Bank of Persia, Indo-European Telegraph Company[6] during the late nineteenth century and first half of the twentieth century, and post-World War Two by the personnel of the embassies of Great Britain, Australia, India and Pakistan and their citizens who resided in the Iranian capital.

The game was established in Sistan and Baluchestan province in 1981 by Pakistani nationals who lived in the province and became popular through contact between neighbouring Iranian and Pakistani cities, Chabahar and Gwadar, Saravan and Panjgur, Zahedan and Quetta.[11]

In 2003 Hossein Ali Salimian, a former captain of Pakistani cricket teams such as South East Karachi Club and Sarhind Cricket Club[12] and employee of Iran Ministry of Foreign Affairs, established a governing body for cricket which resulted in ACC and ICC affiliations in 2003 and formation of national team in 2004. After that the game slowly gained popularity.

Governing body

Islamic Republic of Iran Cricket Association is the official governing body of cricket in Iran. Its current headquarters is in Tehran.

Grounds

There are currently 15 cricket grounds in Iran.[4]

Standard

Non-Standard

National team

The Iran national cricket team represents the country in international cricket matches. The national team, formed in 2004,[4] play in the Challenge division of the ACC Trophy. The team has also played in the ACC Middle East Cup in 2006.

Women's National team

The Iran women's national cricket team represents the country in Women's international cricket matches. The women's national team, formed in 2009,[4] They play in ACC Women's Premier. The team has also played in the ACC Women’s Twenty20 Championship in 2009.

Domestic competitions

South West Persia Cup

Year Host City Final
Winner Result Runner-up
October 1929 Abadan Abadan
 Abadan won by five wickets
[16]		 Masjed Soleyman

National Championship

Men

Team 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Bandar Abbas DSQ
Golestan
Fars
Qom WRW
Sistan va Baluchestan "A" W
Sistan va Baluchestan "B" R
Tehran 3rd
Yazd 
Notes:
* W = Winner; R = Runner-up;   = 3rd; DNP = Did not play/participate; 
DSQ = Disqualified; WRW = Withdrew; TBD = To be decided

Women

Team 2008 2009 2010 2011 2016
Khorasan Razavi W R W W R
Golestan 3rd DNP
Kerman R W
Bushehr 3rd
Fars 4th
Isfahan
Kermanshah
Sistan va Baluchestan
Tehran 
Notes:
* W = Winner; R = Runner-up;   = 3rd; DNP = Did not play/participate; TBD = To be decided

National League

Men

Team 2013/14
Chabahar W
Ettehad Taftan (Zahedan) 4th
Foolad Keivan (Yazd) 5th
Heyaat (Golestan) 7th
Liyaghat (Saravan) 3rd
Shahrdari (Konarak) 6th
Tarbiat Badani (Fars) 8th
Varzesh va Javanan (Iranshahr) R 
  Notes:
  * W = Winner; R = Runner-up;   = 3rd; DNP = Did not play/participate; TBD = To be decided

Women

Team 2013/14
Bazargani Behdashtkar (Mashhad) W
Dena Azadi (Tehran) 5th
Dena Sport (Tehran) R
Fajr (Kerman) 3rd
Gonbad-e Kavus 6th
Varzesh Javanan (Sistan va Baluchestan) 4th 
 Notes:
 * W = Winner; R = Runner-up;   = 3rd; DNP = Did not play/participate; TBD = To be decided

International competitions hosted in Iran

Friendly matches

In 2001, a combined team of Chabahar-Konarak hosted a team from Quetta in a friendly match which ended in victory for the Iranians.

Fajr Cup

Fajr Cup is a cricket tournament hosted by Iran annually in the month of February to celebrate the commemoration of the Iranian Revolution. The first tournament took place in 2007. Most years only local teams took part, however some years International teams participated.

The 2008 edition ran from February 24 to March 2, hosted by Chabahar. There were a total of four teams from Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Oman.[17]

The 2009 edition took place in Iranshahr from February 15 to February 23. The final standings of the eight participants were as follow 1.Chabahar 254 Pts, 2. Afghanistan A 191 Pts, 3. Talar Ghasr Islamic Azad University Iranshahr, 4. Karachi XI, 5. Regional Electricity Sistan va Baluchestan Zahedan, 6. Quetta-Panjgur XI, 7. Konarak XI and 8. Saravan XI.[11][18][19]

For the event in 2014, Iran Cricket Association had sent invitations to Afghanistan, Pakistan and India to take part alongside Iran national cricket team and Iran U-19.[20]

SeasonChampionsRunners-upThird placeFourth placeNo. of teams
2009 Iran Chabahar Afghanistan Afghanistan "A" Iran Talar Ghasr Islamic Azad University of Iranshahr Pakistan Karachi 8

Tehran Tournament

In 2016, Tehran Tournament ran from April 27 to April 29, hosted at Azadi Sport Complex. There were a total of three teams from Iran and Hong Kong. Chabahar were the champions with 2 wins, Iran selection came second with 1 win and 1 loss, Hong Kong's Craigengower CC finished last with 2 losses.[21][22][23][24]

SeasonChampionsRunners-upThird placeNo. of teams
2016 Iran Chabahar Iran Iran XI Hong Kong Craigengower CC 3

Shahid Jangi Zehi Memorial Tournament

In 2016, this tournament was hosted at Kooh-e Mehregan Cricket Ground in Saravan from May 22 to May 25. Referees were Nazar Mohammad Firouzi, Amir Arbab, Rashed Bameri, Sarvar Sepahi and Abdolraouf Molazehi.[25]

SeasonChampionsRunners-upThird placeNo. of teams
2016 Iran Saravan Pakistan Panjgur Iran Iranshahr 3

See also

References

  1. ↑ "ACC U-16 Elite Cup 2012". Asiancricket.org. 2012-05-13. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
  2. ↑ "ACC U-16 Elite 2014". Asiancricket.org. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
  3. ↑ "ACC Women's Premier 2014". Asiancricket.org. 2014-02-18. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "IRAN". Asiancricket.org. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
  5. ↑ Ashley Cooper F S, Cricket Highways and Byways, Allen & Unwin 1927, p. 81
  6. 1 2 "INDO-EUROPEAN TELEGRAPH COMPANY – Encyclopaedia Iranica". Iranicaonline.org. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
  7. ↑ "Officers & Directors : Lions International : 1975-76" (PDF). Ohiolions.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
  8. ↑ "وب سایت رسمی فدراسیون اسکواش ایران". Squashiran.ir. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
  9. ↑ "The Home of CricketArchive". Cricketarchive.com. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
  10. ↑ "The Peterite" (PDF). Stpetersyork.org.uk. October 1954. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
  11. 1 2 "کریکت در چابهار | سایت هیات کریکت شهرستان چابهار". Archived from the original on 2015-04-12. Retrieved 2015-04-05.
  12. ↑ "History". Irancc.50megs.com. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
  13. ↑ "ساخت ورزشگاه اختصاصی کریکت در چابهار". Yjc.ir. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
  14. ↑ پنجشنبه ۹ بهمن ۱۳۹۳ - ۱۴:۵۶. "میزبانی چابهار در بازی های ملی از اهداف توسعه ای ورزش است - خبرگزاری مهر | اخبار ایران و جهان | Mehr News Agency". Mehrnews.com. Retrieved 2016-10-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  15. ↑ ابجد علی دانشور. "به وبلاگ تیم ستاره بلوچستان خوش آمدید - احداث دومین میدان کریکت در چابهار". S-baluchestan.blogfa.com. Archived from the original on 2016-06-23. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
  16. ↑ Frank Keating. "Frank Keating: So what do you do all day, Sven? | Football". The Guardian. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
  17. ↑ "مسابقات بين‌المللي دهه‌ فجر در10رشته و با 52 کشور برگزار مي‌شود". Jamejamonline.ir. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
  18. ↑ "Iran Goes International". Asiancricket.org. 2009-03-23. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
  19. ↑ "Fars News Agency : ع†ط§ط¨ظ‡ط§ط± ظ'ظ‡ط±ظ…ط§ظ† ظ…ط³ط§ط¨ظ'ط§طھ ط¨ظٹظ† ط§ظ"ظ…ظ"ظ"ظٹ ظƒط±ظٹظƒطھ ط´ط¯". Farsnews.com. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
  20. ↑ "بهروزی:کریکت صاحب لیگ می شود/درصدد ساخت 2 زمین استاندارد مخصوص کریکت هستیم". Yjc.ir. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
  21. ↑ "برای انجام دیدار تدارکاتی با تیم CRAIGENGOWER انگلیس؛ اردوی تیم منتخب کریکت آقایان از دیروز یکشنبه آغاز شد | انجمن کریکت جمهوری اسلامی ایران". Ifsafed.com. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
  22. ↑ تورنمنت ۳ جانبه کریکت/ تیم منطقه آزاد چابهار قهرمان شد. "تورنمنت 3 جانبه کریکت/ تیم منطقه آزاد چابهار قهرمان شد | انجمن کریکت جمهوری اسلامی ایران". Ifsafed.com. Retrieved 2016-10-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  23. ↑ "رودنی مایلز: میهمان نوازی ایرانی ها ما را به وجد آورد/تیم کریکت ایران را به هنگ کنگ دعوت می کنم | انجمن کریکت جمهوری اسلامی ایران". Ifsafed.com. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
  24. ↑ "مراسم پایانی کریکت سه جانبه تهران / محمد علیپور: تعامل بین المللی در انجمن کریکت قابل تحسین است /خطه مستعد سیستان و بلوچستان پایتخت کریکت ایران است | انجمن کریکت جمهوری اسلامی ایران". Ifsafed.com. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
  25. ↑ "پایگاه خبری وزارت ورزش و جوانان:: سراوان در مسابقات بین المللی کریکت دوم شد". News.msy.gov.ir. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
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