Most people believe that soccer is the game of the planet, the language that the whole world speaks no matter what part of the globe you are in. In the US, most people do not bat an eye at cricket, even though it is the second most played sport in the world and a pastime that brings billions of people together. It is a sport rooted deep in colonial England and in pre-independence India, so it has been played by generations and generations of families throughout the world.

Cricket origins and around the world 

Cricket is the national sport of England and was developed in the 13th century. It originally used to be a game played by boys in the countryside, and not until the 1700s did it become organized and games began to take place between counties. Throughout this time period, a code of conduct and rules were created, and bats became much easier to find. Nowadays, cricket can be found all over the world, but specifically in countries that were colonized by England. 

It is most popular in places like the Caribbean, India, Australia, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. Popularity in these places allowed it to spread even more, reaching places like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Ireland, New Zealand, Kenya, Afghanistan, Netherlands, and other countries. Cricket is played at a very large scale in these countries, but not as  much in other European places and in South America. The US cricket team is on the rise, and last year, made it to the last stage of World Cup qualification before losing to countries like Sri Lanka and the Caribbean. 

Rules

Cricket is a very simple game that can be learned in minutes. Each team gets 11 players in their lineup and the fielding team has all 11 players in the field at all times. There are two batsmen in play at all times, one on each end of a rectangular pitch. Behind both batsmen are three sticks that are called the wickets and atop the wickets are the bails, small pieces of wood that fit in divots on top of the wickets. 

The goal of the batsman is to hit the ball, and when they do, they run between the wickets to run up the score. There are instances where the batsman does not have to run, like when a batsman hits it hard enough to roll or bounce to the boundary (4 runs) or when he hits the ball over the boundary (6 runs). 

The most important person in a fielding team is the bowler. His objective is to throw the ball and hit the wickets without bending his arm. The bowler also wants to get the batsman to hit the ball to one of the fielders. If the batsman misses the ball and it hits the wicket, or he hits the ball to one of the fielders without a bounce, then he is out.

Each team gets 10 outs, but once each batsman gets out once, the team is done batting. If a fielder gets the ball after the batsman hits it, and while they are still running and are short of a line called the crease, the fielder can hit the wicket with the ball and get the batsman out. Different formats of the game can determine how many balls the batting team gets to face. In a test match, the batsmen can face as many balls as they want. 

In a T20 match, the batsmen will only be able to face 20 overs (1 over = 6 balls). In between, a batting team can face 50 overs when they play in a One Day Match. 

Current Organizations

Currently, all international matches are controlled and played through the International Cricket Council (ICC). The ICC ranks their teams and each nation in each format. One format that has been on the rise is the T20 format because it is the shortest format and is exciting to watch. Because of this, national boards such as the BCCI in India and the ECB in England have created their own domestic leagues to make money, something  they have done at an astonishing rate. 

There are billions of dollars in franchise cricket now, and the Indian Premier League (IPL) is now number two in the world in most expensive leagues. This has allowed them to branch out and create leagues in different countries. Last year, the IPL helped fund and support the creation of the Major League Cricket league in America. Games were played in North Carolina, Florida, New York, and Dallas, Texas

Upcoming Competitions

This year is going to be an exciting year for cricket. The IPL will be taking place in just a few months, and this could be one of the most exciting tournaments yet with many new big names coming to the league.

However, if you are impatiently waiting for the IPL to start, you can tune into the SA20 tournament, a T20 tournament in South Africa that is taking place right now. There is also an Under-19 World Cup taking place in South Africa.

After the IPL season, there will be a T20 World Cup and it is actually going to be played in the USA! Millions are anxiously waiting for tickets to drop, especially for the biggest rivalry in sports history, India vs. Pakistan, taking place in New York. The other countries fighting for the trophy in this year’s tournament will be England, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, New Zealand, South Africa, Netherlands, Afghanistan, Canada, Nepal, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Ireland, Scotland, Namibia, to name a few. Other teams include defending champions Australia, and Uganda, which is making its debut in the T20 World Cup.

Cricket is a sport that many families and traditions hold very dear to their hearts. While it is on the come up in the US, it is not nearly as popular and traditional as football and baseball, but it is still cherished in the hearts of immigrants from India and England and the Caribbean. If you get a chance check out a cricket game.  You will become a fast fan if you do.