Grounds for expansion: Tri-cities seek to create 10-year cricket strategy [Video]

It’s known as the world’s second most popular sport and in Waterloo Region, participation in cricket is growing rapidly.

“It’s growing tremendously, when I started, you hardly can find cricketers, now, on every street, we find 20 cricketers” said Parveen Sharma with the Southern Ontario Cricket Association (SOCA).

Sharma has dedicated the last 35 years to growing cricket in Waterloo and said for people who love the game, it’s more like a religion.

“I married cricket before I married my wife,” said Sharma.

His own wedding was interrupted by a cricket match.

According Sharma, SOCA now has over 40 teams and thousands of members with growing youth participation as well.

He believes field availability is the biggest obstacle and believes the league needs five more cricket grounds in addition to the eight currently in the region.

The City of Kitchener, Cambridge and Waterloo said they are working on a cricket strategy.

“Our population has changed over the years with …