shot-button
Olympic 2024 Olympic 2024
Home > Sports News > Cricket News > Article > Brazil gets first cricket bat factory

Brazil gets first cricket bat factory

Updated on: 08 June,2022 07:48 AM IST  |  Poços de Caldas
AFP |

Francisco, 63, is the proud owner of Brazil’s first cricket bat factory, based in the small city of Pocos de Caldas in Minas Gerais state, population 170,000

Brazil gets first cricket bat factory

Luiz Roberto Francisco shapes a cricket bat at a workshop in Pocos de Caldas last month. Pic/AFP

In a workshop with a stunning view of the mountains of southeastern Brazil, self-taught carpenter Luiz Roberto Francisco is chipping at a piece of pine and turning it into a rare artifact for this football-mad country: a cricket bat. 


Francisco, 63, is the proud owner of Brazil’s first cricket bat factory, based in the small city of Pocos de Caldas in Minas Gerais state, population 170,000. Not coincidentally, the leafy spa city is also the headquarters of Cricket Brasil, an organisation headed by Matt Featherstone, an English ex-cricketer who has set the ambitious goal of getting 30,000 Brazilians playing the sport he loves in the next three years. 


Also Read: Karnataka tumble on Day Two vs UP


Since Featherstone, 51, retired from professional cricket and moved here with his Brazilian wife in 2000, he and Cricket Brasil’s 19 staff have managed to grow the sport exponentially. There are now more than 5,000 cricketers in Brazil, thanks mainly to the organisation’s 63 community youth programs, and the women’s national team have won four of the past five South American championships. But that all ground to a halt when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, leaving those spreading the gospel of cricket without one key import: bats.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!

Register for FREE
to continue reading !

This is not a paywall.
However, your registration helps us understand your preferences better and enables us to provide insightful and credible journalism for all our readers.

Mid-Day Web Stories

Mid-Day Web Stories

This website uses cookie or similar technologies, to enhance your browsing experience and provide personalised recommendations. By continuing to use our website, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. OK