Brazil: A capital rejuvenation for Brazilian cricket as the game emerges again in Brasilia

The surprisingly long history of cricket in Brazil has more or less been the story of its existence in the nation's largest city, São Paulo.

For over 100 years now, our game has survived in São Paulo, regularly reinforced by the employees of British companies who had been sent on two year assignments to South Americas's largest and most populous country.

Just as the spread of Indian expatriates throughout the world have provided cricket with its second period of expansion, on a smaller scale, cricket in São Paulo has been boosted by an influx of Indians, gradually replacing the British, as São Paulo declined as the Brazilian centre for foreign companies, who have tended to set themselves up in other States.

Such reliance for the game's survival on British expatriates who at the time showed little inclination to introducing cricket to the 'locals' saw cricket contract in other centres - meaning your chances of getting a hit on the world famous Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro are virtually nil. Santos was another city where cricket ceased to be played.

Thankfully cricket in Brazil is experiencing a period of rejuvenation with São Paulo beating the host team Brasilia in two matches played in June.

After beginning in Central Park seven years ago, Brasília reemerged this year after an absence caused by the loss of their pitch but enjoys a playing staff of about 40 thanks to players from various Commonwealth embassies such as the United Kingdom, Australia, India, Pakistan, Trinidad & Tobago, and Guyana.

Cricket is also played in Curitiba at the HSBC Sports Ground, and there are suspicions of cricket activity in the jungle villages hugging the Guyanese border.

The majority of Curitiba's cricketers, who have been playing for the past two years, are HSBC employees.

The best (available) players of the three clubs will combine in December when Brazil, third placed at last year's South American Championships takes on Chile (second placed).(Argentina was first - due to the disparity in playing standards, Guyana does not compete).

Both countries hope to join cricket's 'family of nations' and are presently preparing applications for Affiliate membership of the International Cricket Council.

The Brazilian cricket season lasts from March to the end of November and all three clubs would love to receive visiting teams:
Brasilia - John Landers john.landers@apis.com.br
Curitiba - Norman Baldwin montreal@onda.com.br
São Paulo - John Milton jmilton@usp.br