History says, cricket was spread with English imperialists. It was their summer time entertainment at home and overseas colonies. This is how cricket became popular in many former British colonies including South Africa, Indian subcontinent and Australia. Cricket is virtually number one game in Indian sub-continental countries. On the contrary it seems present day English people have lost interest in cricket. If you ask a typical English commuter near a cricket stadium, what’s going on inside the stadium; they are most likely to say, they don’t know. But they are watching women’s football world cup on television. Many are watching other major football events, tennis and formula one events.
Stadium is packed with supporters from Indian sub-continental countries, and other cricket loving countries of the world. Migrants are also queuing in the stadiums and outside the stadium in open areas with giant screens.
So what is the reason behind the English apathy to cricket? The main reason is free to air television channels are not telecasting cricket. So watching cricket on television from England is costly. English people also have other events to watch, their country is participating in other major world events also, which is not true for countries like Bangladesh. Cricket is the only game where they have achieved world standard. This world standard came at the cost of sacrificing other games and mobilizing resources and sporting talents to cricket.
