By Moses Ochieng
The scene is as anticipated: a bustling office with numerous occupants, bathed in the various shades of the late evening New York sun streaming through the windows. The room is filled with the sound of keyboards clicking, continuous intercom chatter, and internal discussions laden with police jargon. Papers and folders are scattered everywhere, and post-it notes are pinned all over the walls.
However, it’s Detective Ahmad Chohan’s desk that stands out at the New York Police Department’s (NYPD) Special Victims Division in the East Side of Manhattan, catching everyone’s attention, including yours. It’s no wonder, really. Neatly arranged in front of Chohan’s computer screen are three cricket balls—a pink one, a white one, and a red one. To his right, on the adjacent wall, hangs an A4 size poster that reads “Cricket Team” above the NYPD Cricket logo. This is certainly an unexpected sight at one of the offices of the world’s most renowned police force.
“Yeah. Shock is generally the first reaction I’ve always experienced when people find out about the NYPD Cricket team. This poster I have had up for over 2.5 years since the time we moved into this office. This is how I represent our club at work and try to spread awareness for what we do. And I’m proud of it. My colleagues call me the ‘cricket guy’, and when they see the cricket balls in place, they say oh he must be away playing cricket,” Detective Chohan said in media reports.
Detective Chohan moved to the USA from Pakistan in 1992 at the age of 14. He reflects on how different life was for South Asian migrants back then and how cricket was always a part of his identity. His passion for the sport eventually led to the creation of the NYPD Cricket team. This love for cricket was shared by many of his fellow officers from India, Pakistan, and the Caribbean islands. Although the club is entirely self-funded by its members, Chohan enthusiastically praises the NYPD for their support, particularly in granting players days off for cricket matches.
He acknowledges that some opponents are surprised to see a group of NYPD officers, even out of uniform, on the cricket field. However, he believes that sharing a passion for cricket helps bridge the gap between officers and the public, making them seem like regular people. Their increasing popularity has even led to civilian cricketers approaching Chohan with requests to join their team.
“I receive thousands of emails from people who want to play for us, and I find it very bad to turn them down since our team is only for officers. But then we had one young guy from Guyana a few years ago who said he’d even join the force if it meant he could play. And he did, by joining as an NYPD auxiliary and then is now a regular in the team,” Chohan added.