How can you explain your love of cricket to, say, an American?

Question

Aussies, Kiwis, the sub-continent, much of Africa, even the English (:-)) play and love this game in different styles but when you try to explain it ....

Particularly test cricket, on the face of it, it's 5 days of guys running in to bowl, often the ball going past untouched, to batsmen who slowly compile a lot of jogging practice. But it's fascinating. Why do we love it? What can you say to an American for example to explain that?

Curling? Now I REALLY must get that one explained to me one day!!

Answer 1

Its really funny how some of us love cricket, like i mean alot of us were brought up with it depending on where you're from so its kind of a natural interest. I get many looks of disbelief when i tell people i enjoy watching cricket, but its the way you watch cricket that matters. Like you can just sit and stare at the televison watching the match where as you could OBSERVE the match and notice the techniques and strategies used by players. Most cricket fans are like this and really understand the game so these fans can appreciate playesr and their talent. But i think it definitely depends on where your from, like i wouldn't know alot about baseball simply because its not played where i am from. I think if i wasn't brought up with cricket i would probably also think its a slow, boring pointless game. As with any other sport, you become really patriotic and sometimes in extreme mode, emotional.

Answer 2

Infinite concentration and patience. A wicket in cricket is worth more than any other moment in any other major sport, because you could watch for three hours or more and only see one. You can't look away because you might miss it. It is a heroic game, because when a batsman's out there, he's up against one big fella hurling a hard leather ball, and ten other men who want to get him out.

Well, baseball's like that, right? But in baseball, a hall-of-fame calibre hitter gets out without getting a hit more than half the time when he goes up to bat. Getting out is no big deal. You take a big swing and if you get out, you get out. In cricket, if a top batsman gets out to a bad shot, that could be game over for his team. You absolutely have to stand your ground in the face of overwheming odds, and I think that adds a lot of character to the game. Especially when you think of stories about cricketers who get hit in the face and keep batting, who have fevers and are in hospital but still come out to bat, etc etc. It's blood and guts stuff, and it makes things seem so meaningful, as though it isn't just a game. Add in the gentlemanly traditions and you really have a situation that is much more compelling than it is "thrilling".

ESPN did an excellent story on the Cricket World Cup (albeit because of a very sad incident) that I think explains things very well from an American perspective:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=woolmer

Answer 3

Personally I think the reason why cricket is so good is that it is a team game AND an individual game incoporated into one. To play cricket at any level requires both physical and mental skill which is rare for most sports!

BTW Yes I am a cricket lover myself lol

Answer 4

In india cricket is not just a game american its our religion...All de players in de team r like GODS...De batsmen h've 2 watch de ball,Judge de seam movement,Find de gap between de fieldrs,push it thro dat way...ders lot of mental calculations h've 2 b takn...And de groun is much mor big just 9 fieldrs(except Keepr & bowlr)h've 2 tak car de entire groun to avoid runs & de bowlr h've 2 tak car bowl de right deliveries for de field set...Example if u h've 7 men on de off-side u shouldnt gicv a chance to batsmen to hit on leg dat means u should force de batsmen 2 get runs usin half of de groun...Is dat an easy task?...Dats wy v love dat gentlemen game...

Answer 5

My government is corrupt and incompetent. I somewhat have faith the government to furnish me roads. i does no longer prefer to entrust the government with something greater severe, extraordinarily something so very own as my wellness desires. I say this as a individual with a persistent ailment that demands wellness practitioner's appointments and lab artwork many circumstances a year, too. i'm no longer a healthful individual who's by no potential experienced how costly wellness care can get. I even have. I additionally think of wellness care is as costly because it particularly is using many regulations that make it much less conscious of shopper desires and much less aggressive, yet it particularly is yet another argument. i for my area do unlike which you're framing it as "no longer worrying." I actually have a ethical objection to involuntary taxes, super government, and government-controlled or government-backed wellness care. in case you care approximately human beings, you may help human beings. you're no longer a greater compassionate or beneficiant individual for taking my money against my will, forcing wellness care on me that i do no longer want, making unfastened industry thoughts greater costly for me, and controlling my different inner maximum possibilities. That merely makes you an authoritarian with a coronary heart of gold. it extremely is particularly elementary to "care" approximately human beings whilst it demands no longer something of you different than doing what you have been already forced to - paying taxes and receiving advantages. Oh, pat your self on the lower back, you humanitarian.

Answer 6

There are sports that some people just don't understand. Most of it comes from not understanding it. I am an American and I enjoy curling. When I tell people I curl I get strange looks.

But I also gave strange looks to people who told me I should try curling. I was convinced to try it, and I'm going on 6 seasons.

Answer 7

I don't think you can explain it any more than we can explain to other parts of the world why we like baseball so much. To many of us, cricket seems dull and way too long, while you likely feel the same way about baseball - a lesser derivative of cricket in the opinions of many.

I'm not knocking cricket in any way. I've said many times before that, had I grown up in another part of the world, I'd likely love cricket and think that baseball was boring. There's no need to explain or justify to anyone why you like a particular sport, in my opinion.

Answer 8

We'll ask him to watch an India-Pakistan match. I would give him a million dollars if he says he didn't like cricket !