GARDEN CITY, N.Y. –
George Abraham never thought he’d meet anyone at Defense Contract Management Agency Garden City who would like to talk about and play the sport of cricket. He’s been playing since he was a child in India.
“I have been playing for years,” he said. “As an adult, I have participated in various cricket leagues in the New York City area.”
But not only did he meet a co-worker who also enjoys the sport, the two work in the same contract division and also practice cricket together in their spare time.
“I was watching a cricket video on my telephone a couple of years ago during my lunch break when Lyndon came by and saw it,” said Abraham, who is an administrative contracting officer. “We had a conversation and we’ve been practicing cricket together ever since.”
Lyndon Jagroop grew up playing cricket and played on the youth national team for Trinidad and Tobago. He said the sport is part of his culture.
“The team I played for years ago is the equivalent of a college football league for those under 19,” said Jagroop. “I played for four years. Cricket is a family sport. My uncle also played on an international team in the West Indies.”
As administrative contracting officers, Abraham and Jagroop review and approve contracts for a variety of contractors. Abraham joined the contract management office in 2014 and Jagroop came in 2016. Prior to joining the DCMA team, Abraham served in the Navy as a Seabee and Jagroop served in the Marine Corps and Navy. While in the Navy, Jagroop became a corpsman and later obtained his registered nursing degree in California.
“As ACOs, we’re ensuring that the contractual requirements set by the buying commands, who are our customers, are fulfilled in a timely manner,” said Jagroop, who previously deployed on behalf of the agency to Afghanistan last year for six months. “Being delayed means our warfighters are not getting what they need on the battlefield. We help bridge the gap between the customer and the contractor to make sure contractual obligations are met.”
When there are stressful days in the office, the two like to practice after work.
Jagroop said cricket can be difficult to play and requires attention to detail. Each team has 11 players on the field. The goal for the bowler, which is similar to a pitcher in baseball, is to bowl fast and hit the wickets behind the batter to strike the individual out. The batter’s goal is to hit the cricket ball and score runs for their team. The sport is popular in Europe, Southwest Asia, and the West Indies.
“I get an adrenaline rush when on the field,” said Jagroop, who is a bowler with the New York Alliance cricket team.
Playing cricket, the two friends said, has helped them work better as teammates.
“We work hard on our job and work well as a team because we know what is like to be on the other side in the military,” said Abraham. “Our warfighters are relying on equipment to work. We understand our responsibility when it comes to contracts because every cent adds up.”
Abraham mentioned that although they are competitive on the practice field, they are not competitive on their jobs. Depending on their schedules, the two may play in the future on the same team in the Long Island, New York, area.
“It’s great to work with a friend who is focused on doing his job to help our warfighters and also has a similar hobby,” said Abraham. “We like to compete against each other on the field, but in the office, we lay that competition aside. We both have the pride of previously wearing a military uniform. Now as ACOs, we have the same pride of continuing to represent our country and making a direct impact of warfighters on the civilian side.”