Baseball is very much like Cricket. Can Cricket become a popular game in western countries ?

Question

This isn't a silly comparison question. I am not saying that Cricket is the better game. So, no jokes & give a serious answer.

Cricket used to be time consuming game but now there is a new version of cricket popularly known as 'Twenty20 CRICKET'.

A twenty20 game finishes in 3 hours and 15 minutes.

Now basic thing in cricket & baseball is the same & that's hitting the ball with the bat and running for points

American & Canadian cricket teams are there in the top20 (in cricket) but we can only have 16 teams in a cricket world cup.

Infact Canada made it to the 50-50 cricket world cup in 2003.
America was a part of of ICC (International Cricket Council) champions trophy in 2004.

So, these teams are there but still not in the elite group of nations.

Cricket is right now is second only to Soccer when it comes to viewership.

The major cricket playing nations are - India, Australia, England, South Africa, Pakistan , Caribbean countries , New Zealand, Sri Lanka

Cheers!!!

Answer 1

There is a chance but its tough

I play all the time at parks there are people who recognize what we play and sometimes even stop to watch us.

I think Americans have a hard time accepting world sports because they probably cant compete against countries and lose to them. with the exception of bball all the major sports in US (that leaves two - baseball and football) are only played in US and some countries and they play against people in the same country and call themselves the world champions (baseball and bball, but now bball uses NBA champions because Argentina are the world champions - 2004 Olympics)

with the start of 20/20 and the whole steorids issue in Baseball - i think cricket can get a new look - dont forget cricket used to be really popular until the 20s and 30s - i guess during Babe Ruth revolutionized baseball. (George Washington played cricket during Valley Forge!!!)

Answer 2

Teams in the west like USA, Canada, Argentina, Brazil do not have much interest in cricket. The reason is unknown but mostly because the cricket associations in these countries do not publicise the game. Cricket is a much tougher game (especially if u consider bowling in cricket) as there are various of tactics and each player has different styles.
All West Indian countries (Guyana, Antigua n Barbados, St. Kitts & Nevis, Jamaica etc) are the best players of cricket in the continent and western hemisphere.

Appearances:
Canada: International Cricket World Cup (West Indies 2007) -Group C
lost to New Zealand, England & Kenya: 0 points from 3 games
USA: not qualified for World Cup 2007

West Indies:
defeated Pakistan, Zimbabwe & Ireland in qualifiers. 9 points from 3 matches (max.)
not qualified for Super 8s after winning just 2 games. 6 points from 7 matches.
out of world cup. Brian Lara retires from cricket

Answer 3

U're right... The idea of introducing Twenty20 Cricket was adopted by ICC mainly to globalize the game...& to make cricket more suitable for minnow nations to compete... Now u're right about the fact that Canada & US have been participating in the major ICC tournaments....but most of there players originate from asian countries..who have got t US citizenship...The game will look like baseball to anyone who's not very much into close oberservation of both these games....but the rules are totally different--- I mean in cricket a bowler tries to pitch the ball for movement & swing...& there IS no restriction on the batsman that he can't miss 3 strikes in a row or else he will be out if it comes to baseball..
But i agree on few things like in cricket, a 'Sixer' can very much related with what they call 'Home Run' in baseball & there are fielders who try to catch the ball......So there are things in common....but cricket does not have a strong base in America except the small carrebian islands... but ICC is considering the possibilies by developing & funding cricket academies in America but it will take time ...& from that i mean a decade atleast....

Cheers!!!!!

Answer 4

Maybe all the guys that don't make the baseball team will start their own Cricket league. Kind of how like in America all the guys that suck at basketball have to play soccer instead.

Answer 5

For me it already is the most popular, but why would I care if it became popular around the World. I prefer Test match cricket to 20-20, although for music, glitz and glamour it will probably will become more popular.

Answer 6

No, because we are used to the sports where teams switch on offense and defense multiple times in one game, which makes it much more interesting. In Cricket, however, It doesn't happen in 20/20 or one day internationals, which makes it boring. True, it happens in test cricket, but no one has five days for a game that often ends with no result.

Baseball is much more interesting than cricket.

Answer 7

Cricket is already popular in western countries, take a look at england for an example

Answer 8

i think cricket is quite popular in Western Europe
an average fan doesnt get to see the popularity because the media doesnt pay much focus to it
on the other hand in 17th centuryin US the british settlers started playing cricket and cricket was quite a popular sport in this country but as time went ahead baseball replaced it
but i know cricket is quite popular in canada infact cricket is canada's national sport

Answer 9

yeah i'm sure that cricket can become popular in western countries.but it is upto to the ICC and the boards of all the abi nations to provide allt help to improve the game in western countries.And morover they should conduct programmes regularly in those countries to make those people how gud and enjoyable games is cricket

Answer 10

People in US dont even know about cricket. I am an 8th Grader in US. My Teacher asked mw what is ur favorite sport. i said cricket. my classmates started to laugh because they thought i was talking about the insect cricket.