(LITTLE FALLS, NJ) -- American Premiere League (APL) has launched a new cricket league in the United States. The inaugural tournament is taking place at Yogi Berra Stadium in Little Falls, NJ from September 20 – 30. APL features seven cricket teams, each named after the communities across the world who love cricket: Premium Americans, Premium Aussies, Premium Windees, Premium Paks, Premium Indians, Premium English and Premium Bengalees.
Premium Americans Captain – Azurdeen “Andy” Mohammed - Andy Mohammed is an American cricketer originally from Trinidad. This left-handed all-rounder made his cricket debut for the United States National team in May 2010. He competed in the 2010 Under-19 World Cup for the national under-19 team, where he was named “Man of the Match”. Mohammed has played cricket since he was a young child. He was even given the nickname “Andy,” a reference to English cricketer Andy Caddick, by his aunt who supported his love of the sport.
Premium Aussies Captain – Tom Beaton - “The Gladiator from Perth,” Tom Beaton is a right-handed batsman who has had an impressive cricket career, previously playing for Western Australia, the Perth Scorchers, the Melbourne Renegades and the Otago Volts. Most recently, Beaton was the number one draft pick in the Southern Smash, a district T20 competition in his home of Western Australia. He was selected by the Albany Finance Fury. Beaton now runs Tom Beaton Cricket Academy in his hometown of Perth. At TBCA, Beaton works to mentor and guide the next generation of cricket players. Beaton offers mentoring, coaching, group sessions, clinics, master classes and cricket academies.
Premium Windees Captain – Chadwick “Rope” Walton - Rope Walton, originally from Jamaica, is a right-hand batsman and wicket keeper. His career began playing for Combined Campuses and Colleges in 2007. He was then chosen for the West Indies Test side and made his debut against Bangladesh in 2009. Most recently, Walton played for the Vancouver Knights in the 2019 Global T20 Canada tournament and for the Jamaica Tallawahs for the 2020 Caribbean Premier League. Walton has also played for the Jamaican national team, the Guyana Amazon Warriors, Islamabad United, Karachi Kings and Galle Gladiators.
Premium Paks Captain - Rizwan Cheema - Born and raised in Pakistan, Rizwan Cheema moved to Canada in his early twenties. Although he had only played cricket at the club level in Pakistan, his skill caught the attention of Canadian cricket leagues. Cheema’s career took off in 2008, making his international cricket debut for the Canadian national team. Cheema is no stranger to the role of captain. He was named former captain Ashish Bagai’s deputy for the Canada Tour of Sri Lanka in 2009. Later in the season when Bagai suffered an injury, Cheema was named captain for the Caribbean T20 tournament. Cheema was appointed full-time captain of the Canadian team in 2012.
Premium Indians Captain – Keval Patel - Keval Patel is a versatile batsman from New Jersey. Patel competes in the New Jersey Premiere T20 league for the New Jersey Blackcaps, where he also serves as team captain. His Blackcaps teammates will be playing with him on the Team Indians roster under leadership of team owner, Sam Singh. Patel played a lot of competitive cricket in India, training and playing with national coaches and players. He continued his passion of cricket in New Jersey, winning multiple Premier T20 Championships and, most recently, the 22 Yards Unity Cup as New Jersey Blackcaps.
Premium English Captain – James Atkins - Originally from England, James Atkins moved to the United States in 2015, working and living in New York and New Jersey. Atkins has been a long-time fan of cricket, playing for Free Foresters Cricket Club, Zingari Cricket Club and Marylebone Cricket Club back home in England. American Premiere League is proud to host Atkins for his debut as a professional cricket player.
Premium Bengalees Captain – Baizid Siddiqui - Siddiqui grew up in Chittagong, Bangladesh and started playing cricket for his school team. After moving to the United States, Siddiqui played cricket in Philadelphia, Washington D.C., New Jersey and New York leagues. Career highlights include winning three championships with Gymkhana Cricket Club of New Jersey and winning two championships with Newcastle Cricket Club in the Philadelphia cricket league. Siddiqui has been playing in the New York Bangladeshi cricket league since 2007, playing for several different top teams in the league. He also played for the winning Bangladesh Tigers Team in the prestigious Michigan Diversity Cup 2018.
American Premiere League (APL) is owned and operated by American Sports and Entertainment Group, chaired by APL founder and CEO Jay Mir. American Sports and Entertainment Group is dedicated to bringing cricket to the United States with the same glory and excitement it has worldwide. While many cricket leagues have tried to gain traction in the United States, APL aims to unite cricket fans across the country for a historic event by naming their teams after cricket-loving communities: Americans, Indians, Windees, Aussies, English, Paks and Bengalees.
