Cricket: More than Just A Sport
History of Cricket
Cricket is a sport which was firstly introduced in England in the 16th century. It was played in England between the locals and later became a widely recognized sport around the world. The official rules for cricket were created in 1744 while, the first international match was played in 1877 which was a Test match between Australia and England. Later, it was introduced in India by the British in the 18th century and eventually became one of the most popular sports in the country. The Indian Team won the first World Cup in 1983 and it is considered as one of the most special moment for Indian cricket fans.
Rules of Cricket
Cricket is played between two teams which consists of 11 players in each team. The squad consists of 15 players for both the teams, however, only 11 players per team are allowed to play the match and the rest are benched. Before the match, a coin toss happens between the captains of both the teams and the team who wins the toss can elect to bat or bowl first willingly. The main objective is to score more runs than the other team and the team which has higher runs wins the game. The team which bats first tries to set a good target for the opponent team by playing good shots with the bat and the bowling team focuses on dismissing the batsman and take as much wickets as he can. As per the international cricket rules, there are 6 balls in an over which has to be bowled by a bowler. There are many ways to get a batsman dismissed such as getting bowled, LBW, caught out, run out or getting stumped by the wicketkeeper. There are 2 boundaries in a cricket match which are mainly 4 and 6 which can be an advantage for the batsman if they play with good timing and strength.
Formats of Cricket
Test- It is a format in which does not consist of limited overs and is played for 5 days. The first ever international match was also a test match which was played between Australia and England. Every team gets two innings to bat and bowl and the team with higher runs at the end wins the match. Test cricket requires a lot of patience as the batsman tries to stay at the crease for a longer time and win the game for his team by scoring runs. The Biggest Tournament in Test Cricket is the World Test Championship (WTC).
ODI- It is a format which consists of 50 overs per side and the match lasts for 1 day which is why, it is known as One Day International (ODI). It is widely loved by the audience as many players have retired from Test and T20 Cricket and play only in the ODI format. The Biggest Tournament in ODI Cricket is the ODI World Cup.
T20– It is a format which consists of 20 overs per side and the match lasts for average 4 to 5 hours. It is the and fastest format of international cricket and also keeps the viewers entertained as the both the teams aim to score runs faster than the other formats. The Biggest Tournament in T20 Cricket is theT20 World Cup.
Equipment Used In Cricket
Bats- Bats are used by the batsman to score runs while batting and the batsman prefer the bats with a good grip according to their comfort.
Ball– Balls are used by the bowlers to bowl perfect deliveries and the bowlers prefer a bowl with a good swing and variation. Every innings in any format is bowled with a new ball and the ball is handed over by the umpires before the match starts.
Wickets– The wickets generally consists of bails and stumps. It is used for the preparation of the pitch and is also a method of dismissing the batsman.
Gloves– Gloves are used for the safety and the grip of the fielders and the batsman.
Pads– Pads are also important for the batsman as it provides safety of the batsman’s legs. It is also used by the wicketkeeper of the fielding team.
Helmet– Helmet is the most important while playing cricket as it protects the head and the face of the batsman.
Shoes– Shoes are used by all the players in the ground while playing as it provides better running ability.
Why is Cricket more than just a sport?
Cricket is more likely to be an emotion for the cricket fans as most of the people aim to be a cricketer when they are young. Cricket is a sport that is widely played in streets, towns and even in small villages. Many people find the lives of cricketer interesting and deeply relate to it as they also once dreamed of playing cricket for their country but couldn’t due to unforeseen circumstances. Nowadays, cricket is not just a sport, but the feeling and emotions for a lot of people. Whenever, any team plays a match, the people of their country support their country players and pray that they win the matches. Nowadays, people have also started celebrating cricket win just like a festival, for e.g, they burn crackers, throw parties and come out in large numbers to support their team. On the other end, cricket also feels like a heartbreak for many whose team may not win the match. In India, during the IPL (Indian Premier League) people gather with their family and friends to watch their favorite players or team play. It also unites the people of different age groups to sit together and enjoy.