England was where the Game was born. For a long time in history, Cricket was heralded as the symbol of the Empire, and English identity. The country was also associated with many legendary episodes, e.g. the Bodyline Series, an event in early 1930's, which brought Australia in a diplomatic stand-off with Great Britain, and fostered its national identity in the aftermath. It was a common ritual for cricketers to be knighted. Granted, Cricket as a game was initially, the preserve of the elite, but its popularity was unquestionable even among the masses. Well until the early 1980's, the country would be brought to a standstill whenever England played Test at home.
Isn't it interesting to ask what actually happened? While Australia still retains its love for Cricket, the game has died a slow, natural death in the original place. Today, England's team is second-rate to say the least, and its domestic circuit, once a magnet for Test cricketers, has dwindled to the level of schoolboys.
2006-10-14
18:50:15
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5 answers
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asked by
Anonymous
in
London