Is the Sport of Cricket Growing Globally?

Cricket has millions of fans around the world and has undergone many changes in the past 20 years. The introduction of technology, such as Hawk-Eye and Ultra Edge plus the development of new competitions, including Twenty20, have all be implemented to grow the sport. Is the sport of cricket growing globally and what are the factors behind the current position of cricket in the world?

Popular in Specific Countries

Cricket has always been popular in several countries. England, India, Australia, Pakistan, West Indies, and South Africa have long been considered the top cricket playing nations. India is the home of the world’s largest cricket fan base, and the Indian Premier League is one of the most watched cricket tournaments on the planet. So, the popularity of cricket is closely linked to the expansion of the British empire, but The International Cricket Council (ICC) has been keen to push the sport into new countries. The current full members of the ICC are the six countries listed above plus Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Ireland, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Ireland are the latest additions having all joined since 2000. There are some nations that have been granted men's One Day International status, including Canada and United States. This shows how cricket does have a player and fan base in countries where other sports, such as baseball, are always going to come first.

Shorter Formats and Betting

One of the many ways in which the ICC is trying to grow the sport of cricket is by introducing shorter formats of the game. With youngsters consuming shorter form content on their mobile devices, the longer forms of cricket, such as Test Match cricket, is not appealing to the next generation of potential cricket fans. Twenty20 cricket is a good example, and this shorter form of the sport includes just 20 overs per team, colourful kits, loud music, and flashing lights. This contrasts with Test cricket, which is played in all-white kits and can last for up to five days. The introduction of the ICC T20 World Cup has gone a long way to rejuvenating global interest in cricket, with the most recent edition of the competition being played in the West Indies and United States. It was the first time a major ICC tournament featured matches in the United States. The tournament also expanded from 16 to 20 teams, giving more nations a chance to qualify for the competition.

Cricket betting is extremely popular because the sport lends itself to the creation of many betting markets. There are over 100 different betting options when having a wager on the big international games plus in-play betting. It is possible to bet on the number of runs to be scored from the next delivery and this highlights how cricket is the perfect sport for betting. Some fans were introduced to cricket through betting and that has helped to continue the growth of the sport around the world.

Challenges

Despite the continued expansion of cricket into new countries and the development of new, exciting competitions, the sport continues to face challenges which are holding it back. There is no doubt the Twenty20 World Cup has pushed cricket to new countries but there are financial and resource limitations that mean it is impossible for the sport to have sustained growth in emerging countries. United States is a massive market, but cricket is never going to come close to baseball, regardless of how much money is pumped into the sport in the US. There is also the issue of balancing new competitions and technologies with tradition. There will always be fans who want cricket to be centred around Test matches, but could it be the Test Match format that holds cricket back from becoming a truly global sport?