Why people love cricket so much?
the world, especially in South Asia. Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan are all former world champions and are all fun to watch Cricket is a stylish game of skill and, there are many excellent players throughout the world. Names like Donald Bradman, Dennis Lillie, Ian Botham, Sachin Tendulkar, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Shoaib Akhter and many more are whispered with awe even to this day.
The much loved team sport of cricket was first played in England as far back as 16th century. Since then the game has spread to be one of the most loved and played sport in countries as diverse as India, Pakistan, New Zealand and Canada. Cricket has a huge following throughout
Pakistan has a great number of famous players. Legendary former captain, Imran Khan is still remembered with great reverence for his playing style and leadership ability. Some Pakistani players heading the same way are Shahid Afridi, Saeed Anwar and Inzamam-ul-Haq. Saeed Anwar still holds the record for the highest innings total in an ODI . He scored 194 against India. Legendary India batsman, Sachin Tendulkar, hold the record for highest run scored in Tests and most number of centuries. he broke the record of saeed anwar in 2010 FEB by scoring 200* against RSA
All these name strike into the hearts of cricket fans throughout the world, fans held in thrall by cricket mania.
i asked this question to one of my friends
Why are Indians so crazy about cricket?Cricket is not even a global sport. It is played by a dozen nations, out of which half a dozen play it with any kind of seriousness. Even in most of the other cricket playing nations, it is not the top sport. But if you look at India, sport = cricket. And worse still, a very insignificant minority actually PLAY. Most cricket is confined to the living room. What is it about cricket that drives such passion in India? Or to inverse the question, what is it about Indians that they're so passionate about cricket? To the extent that very few people are surprised at the exorbitant fee and hysteria IPL players generate. Is the Indian cricket fan genuinely in love with the sport? Or is he a creation of marketing?recived coments like this
Kartik Ayyar, Bleary eyed engineer.
22 votes by Marc Bodnick, Semil Shah, Henry Robinson, (more)
1. Network effects and chicken and egg issues
You cannot avoid cricket in India. Everyone around you is playing.
Some (many?) people will not attend work or school on the days of major matches. I don't know how things are now but at least when I lived in India even when people did attend offices and schools on the day of a match, they used to smuggle handheld radios in and were highly distracted.
So much advertising in India is also based off of cricket - cricket stars are practically gods.
The scale of that network effect is also very large, practically a billion people of every single age group and every walk of life.
2. It is a real estate efficient game
As some of the answers mention above, it is also a game that can be played in a land scarce environment - all you need is a straight street.
Sure once in a while you'd break your neighbors window or had to go recover a ball from a neighbor who had a nasty dog, but in general, it was considered worth it.
3. Cricket is a non violent way to wage a proxy war with Pakistan
Definitely more sustainable and fun than lobbing nukes at each other.
It isn't uncommon to hear stories of people on the losing side to commit suicide.
An American friend of mine was visiting India for the first time when there was some tension between India and Pakistan going on. His observation were that people around him didn't care about the national level tensions, however people were worried it might lead to an India-Pakistan match getting cancelled - that should tell you something.
4. It is the only game India is capable of competing at the highest levels
If you are only good at one sport as a country of a billion people, you tend to be protective of it
You cannot avoid cricket in India. Everyone around you is playing.
Some (many?) people will not attend work or school on the days of major matches. I don't know how things are now but at least when I lived in India even when people did attend offices and schools on the day of a match, they used to smuggle handheld radios in and were highly distracted.
So much advertising in India is also based off of cricket - cricket stars are practically gods.
The scale of that network effect is also very large, practically a billion people of every single age group and every walk of life.
2. It is a real estate efficient game
As some of the answers mention above, it is also a game that can be played in a land scarce environment - all you need is a straight street.
Sure once in a while you'd break your neighbors window or had to go recover a ball from a neighbor who had a nasty dog, but in general, it was considered worth it.
3. Cricket is a non violent way to wage a proxy war with Pakistan
Definitely more sustainable and fun than lobbing nukes at each other.
It isn't uncommon to hear stories of people on the losing side to commit suicide.
An American friend of mine was visiting India for the first time when there was some tension between India and Pakistan going on. His observation were that people around him didn't care about the national level tensions, however people were worried it might lead to an India-Pakistan match getting cancelled - that should tell you something.
4. It is the only game India is capable of competing at the highest levels
If you are only good at one sport as a country of a billion people, you tend to be protective of it
Reem Saied, 7+ years experience in digital media ...
10 votes by Semil Shah, Marc Bodnick, Haroon Bijli, (more)
"Why are Indians so crazy about cricket?" is a good question, primarily because it is seldom asked as everyone takes the popularity for granted, as if Indians were born cricket lovers! Once asked, we scratch our heads for answers.
Globally, the poor prefer to play soccer (football), whether Latin America or Africa. The only cost to soccer is an inflated ball, and nothing else. Cricket is slightly more "expensive" as it requires a bat PLUS ball. In India, it was a preserve of the rich and upper classes, those who could afford the gear, had access to the Gymkhanas and the leisure time. Check the profiles of Indian Test teams till the 80s. An elitist game, it has "Laws" not "Rules". The Laws in relation to other global sports are one of the world's most intriguing and confusing for the layman. Cricket should never have succeeded in India considering the socio-economic odds and history are stacked against it, while they are hugely in favour of Soccer. YET, it is the no. 1 sport in India, with players now coming from the poorest of the poor, "gulley" cricketers, tribal areas, rural areas and so on.
The "craze" began from the post Kapil Dev era and the rise of colour TV after 1982. As luck would have it, India won the World Cup in 1983, led by a Captain who's profile was the exact opposite of the traditional cricketer: rural, rustic, Hindi speaking, poor, no access to any club, but a player with a huge heart and a never say die spirit. In 2 years, India won the Kerry Packer/Channel Nine produced World Championships in 1985, which was televised "live". The public watched in amazement at cricketers wearing colored clothing, playing at night under floodlights! It was the beginning of cricket as entertainment. And yes, the country losing at every sport, were World Champs in a globally recognized and televised sport, proving their 1983 win wasn't a fluke.
But even this isn't the reason for the sport being so popular. The answer to that is so basic and so obvious that you feel frustrated for not having thought of it in the first place. The answer to that is known subconsciously to every single child playing cricket in the by-lanes of a slum or a public ground (known as "maidan"). A country where kids are denied an opportunity at almost every level, where kids beg for a "chance" at anything, cricket was the ONLY group sport where EVERY kid got a chance to bat and show the other kids what he is capable of.Whatever the team composition, whether 3 or 5 or 11 or even 20 players a team, every kid got his turn to bat until they got out. In soccer, not every kid got his chance to "score a goal". Sometimes they don't get a chance to even kick the ball.The weak players were put in defense or asked to "guard the goal area".Tell that to your 10 year old kid! But in cricket, everyone got a chance to hit that glorious "4" or massive "6". And everyone has hit that one glorious shot in a neighborhood game which is etched forever in his memory, and it probably plays on his mind every time he watches his favorite cricketer hit a boundary.
As India expands its economy, and more kids get opportunities denied to earlier generations, you find kids slowly venturing into other sports and winning: boxing, shooting, running, tennis, badminton. So the cricket "craze" will fade a bit in urban areas as India grows richer. But in poor, rural areas, it will remain the no.1 sport and that is where the majority of Indian "stars" today come from
Globally, the poor prefer to play soccer (football), whether Latin America or Africa. The only cost to soccer is an inflated ball, and nothing else. Cricket is slightly more "expensive" as it requires a bat PLUS ball. In India, it was a preserve of the rich and upper classes, those who could afford the gear, had access to the Gymkhanas and the leisure time. Check the profiles of Indian Test teams till the 80s. An elitist game, it has "Laws" not "Rules". The Laws in relation to other global sports are one of the world's most intriguing and confusing for the layman. Cricket should never have succeeded in India considering the socio-economic odds and history are stacked against it, while they are hugely in favour of Soccer. YET, it is the no. 1 sport in India, with players now coming from the poorest of the poor, "gulley" cricketers, tribal areas, rural areas and so on.
The "craze" began from the post Kapil Dev era and the rise of colour TV after 1982. As luck would have it, India won the World Cup in 1983, led by a Captain who's profile was the exact opposite of the traditional cricketer: rural, rustic, Hindi speaking, poor, no access to any club, but a player with a huge heart and a never say die spirit. In 2 years, India won the Kerry Packer/Channel Nine produced World Championships in 1985, which was televised "live". The public watched in amazement at cricketers wearing colored clothing, playing at night under floodlights! It was the beginning of cricket as entertainment. And yes, the country losing at every sport, were World Champs in a globally recognized and televised sport, proving their 1983 win wasn't a fluke.
But even this isn't the reason for the sport being so popular. The answer to that is so basic and so obvious that you feel frustrated for not having thought of it in the first place. The answer to that is known subconsciously to every single child playing cricket in the by-lanes of a slum or a public ground (known as "maidan"). A country where kids are denied an opportunity at almost every level, where kids beg for a "chance" at anything, cricket was the ONLY group sport where EVERY kid got a chance to bat and show the other kids what he is capable of.Whatever the team composition, whether 3 or 5 or 11 or even 20 players a team, every kid got his turn to bat until they got out. In soccer, not every kid got his chance to "score a goal". Sometimes they don't get a chance to even kick the ball.The weak players were put in defense or asked to "guard the goal area".Tell that to your 10 year old kid! But in cricket, everyone got a chance to hit that glorious "4" or massive "6". And everyone has hit that one glorious shot in a neighborhood game which is etched forever in his memory, and it probably plays on his mind every time he watches his favorite cricketer hit a boundary.
As India expands its economy, and more kids get opportunities denied to earlier generations, you find kids slowly venturing into other sports and winning: boxing, shooting, running, tennis, badminton. So the cricket "craze" will fade a bit in urban areas as India grows richer. But in poor, rural areas, it will remain the no.1 sport and that is where the majority of Indian "stars" today come from
Kapeesh Saraf, PM @ Zynga
4 votes by Marc Bodnick, Charlie Cheever, Subrahmanyam Kvj, and M Thiyaga Rajan
In addition to the answers above, cricket is a fantastic sport for television spectatorship, much like American football. There's plenty of stats which lend themselves to the armchair punditry that Indians are so fond of.
For those really interested in the topic, 'A Corner of a Foreign Field' is an excellent book that answers this question through a scholarly lens
For those really interested in the topic, 'A Corner of a Foreign Field' is an excellent book that answers this question through a scholarly lens
Kapil Dalwani, Software Engineer with interests in M...
3 votes by Alfonso Rabbit-Walker, Marc Bodnick, and Richard Guy
I think its the nature of game. Its a game which can be played with least number of equipment and people. You can play the game of cricket in a street so narrow that only people can barely walk. You can play it in your courtdyard( obviously by modifying some rules). It can be played by 2-22 people. Its such a diverse game that's in the heart of every other person from India. My dad said it gained enormous fan following when India being underdogs defeated West Indies in the final to win the World Cup in 1983.
Cricket is the only game other than chess / billiards where Indians do well internationally. People in a country will follow sports where there team is good at. Soccer is followed but that is probably the only universal sport. Indians have been good consistently over long periods of time only in Cricket , Hockey ( that time long passed ) , Chess & Billiards. Chess & Billiards are not great spectator sports and hence Cricket has been the most followed sport
Nadhiya Mali, communications professional
5 votes by Shamrez Zack, Tanmay Khot, Rajesh Sampathkumar, (more)
A very nice question indeed. You have to go back in time to answer this. Ramachandra Guha's "In the corner of a foreign field' gives interesting insights into this question.
India has been ruled by British for two centuries. And its the brits who introduced this game to us. In initial days people were plain fascinated by the game. They just stood around and watched the English play. But soon the parsis, hindus, muslims started building their own gymkhanas/stadias and took to the game with a passion. In a nation where people were treated like slaves, there were instances when a team full of amateur cricket players from India beat professional club players from England. To beat someone superior to you certainly gives you a kind of vindictive pleasure. May be it was this pleasure that later turned to a craze. And we won the World Cup in eighties which further added to the phenomenon.
And now its the money and the glam factor to it. Cricket is also a game that can be easily understood. Everyone can have an opinion unlike football where you should have followed the game since it origin. Even women understand cricket. Is that not enough? Every women in the family would follow cricket but hockey.football or any other sport? NO
India has been ruled by British for two centuries. And its the brits who introduced this game to us. In initial days people were plain fascinated by the game. They just stood around and watched the English play. But soon the parsis, hindus, muslims started building their own gymkhanas/stadias and took to the game with a passion. In a nation where people were treated like slaves, there were instances when a team full of amateur cricket players from India beat professional club players from England. To beat someone superior to you certainly gives you a kind of vindictive pleasure. May be it was this pleasure that later turned to a craze. And we won the World Cup in eighties which further added to the phenomenon.
And now its the money and the glam factor to it. Cricket is also a game that can be easily understood. Everyone can have an opinion unlike football where you should have followed the game since it origin. Even women understand cricket. Is that not enough? Every women in the family would follow cricket but hockey.football or any other sport? NO
Cricket is a game in which you can't predict what will happen in next over. Its full of suspense & excitement. Indians living in India like to watch this game more than playing it. This is the best entertainment they can get. Subconsciously they got attracted towards this game, checking scores online, watching highlights make them forget tensions for while. Plus feeling of patriotism plays additional role of sugar on bread & butter
“His name is Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary“.(my best friend)The Word Crazy Itself gets Crazy to check the loyality of his towards Indian Cricket..
His Religion Is Cricket, His God Is SACHIN ramesh TENDULKAR. He Is The DIE HARD FAN of SACHIN and to the Indian Cricket Team.
Here is a few Things About Him:
Chaudhary used to work in a milk company in Muzaffarpur and later passed an examination to become a teacher. But the Cricketing Instinct In him, made him to quit his job.
“I now survive on public support“- Chaudhary.
He has the Indian flag painted on his body. With his entire torso, face and his head painted in the colours of the national flag with the words ‘Sachin Tendulkar‘ boldly written over, the 26-year-old from Bihar could be seen cheering for the Indian team by tirelessly waving a huge Indian tricolour.
“I have dedicated my entire life to cricket, and there is no looking back at my decision“-Chaudhary.
“Sachin has promised me that he would provide me with the tickets of all international matches played in our country, and he is living up to his words“-Chaudhary.
He sends 1,000 litchis to Sachin Tendulkar every year in appreciation for the match tickets that the batting maestro gives him. He once threatened self-immolation if he was not given lifelong guarantee of tickets to watch all India matches. As a gesture of gratitude, Chaudhary travels down to Tendulkar’s Mumbai home to present him with litchis every summer.
“I have been presenting him 1,000 litchis every year since 2004. By the time I return to India after this Test match(During Indo-Bangla series), the litchis would be ripe and I will take another 1,000 for him soon“-Chaudhry.
“I have also presented litchis to Virender Sehwag and Sourav Ganguly. And I have promised Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh that I would also send them the litchis this year“-Chaudhary.
He travelled from his native Muzaffarpur district, Bihar to Bangladesh on his bicycle for the Indo-Bangla series.
While Tendulkar has assured him of tickets in the matches he plays, Chaudhary is worried of the time after Tendulkar retires.
Last year Sachin did not play a match and he missed that because only sachin gives him the tickets. After that he met the cricket board president Pawar(now former) thrice in Delhi and requested him to guarantee him one ticket per match for entire lifetime.
“I don’t want any money, i jus need a ticket to watch my Religion & Passion” he said.
Chaudhary met Pawar thrice in six days in April last year, but he failed out to get a guarantee from him.
“After he ignored him twice, he took an appointment in the name of another person, & covered his painted body with a ‘chadar’ (sheet) and removed it in front of him“-Chaudhary.
He said that he will immolate himself in protest if he isn’t provided with the match ticket. Pawar persuaded him not to do so, but didn’t give him any guarantee either.
Chaudhary is a bachelor and said he has decided to remain single entire life.
“I don’t want to ruin a girl’s life by marrying her because I am always travelling to watch matches. It’s because even after Sachin retires, I will continue to follow and encourage the Indian team“-Chaudhary.
He is With Strong Belief Over Sachin and On The Indian Team. He Enjoys Indian Victory, he supports when India was at a disaster..
Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary Is A Pure Hearted Well Wisher For The Master Blaster & for the Indian Team.
me and vikas with sudhir kumar gautam
but i am still waiting to meet god ......
