Cricket stuff that doesn't deserve its own thread

[OverratedSanity]

Sunil Narine suspended after action found illegal | Cricket | ESPN Cricinfo

Poor WW.Clearly another conspiracy against future ATG Sunil

 

[Fusion]

Tape-ball tales

One of the finest articles I've ever read, about the phenomena of tape-ball cricket's origin and popularity in Karachi, Pakistan. I remember being utterly shocked when I came to find out that tape ball cricket wasn't as popular/prevalent in other cricket-mad countries as it was in Pakistan. Growing up with it, it defined my childhood and was part of my everyday routine. I just assumed that every kid that loved cricket played tape ball like kids from my neighborhood did. Ah, the nostalgia.

 

[Howe_zat]

12th Match, Group B: China Women v Netherlands Women at Bangkok, Dec 1, 2015 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

Things that surprise me are

1) that China has a cricket team winning at a not insignificant level
2) that they actually appear to have Chinese people playing

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Ed Smith: Why blame culture is toxic for sport | Cricket | ESPN Cricinfo

this article needs to be compulsory reading

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

Tape-ball tales

One of the finest articles I've ever read, about the phenomena of tape-ball cricket's origin and popularity in Karachi, Pakistan. I remember being utterly shocked when I came to find out that tape ball cricket wasn't as popular/prevalent in other cricket-mad countries as it was in Pakistan. Growing up with it, it defined my childhood and was part of my everyday routine. I just assumed that every kid that loved cricket played tape ball like kids from my neighborhood did. Ah, the nostalgia.

Tape ball cricket is still very popular in here BD. I grew up playing tape ball cricket everyday in the evenings after school. Still play it whenever I get the chance. It's great fun.

 

[cnerd123]

12th Match, Group B: China Women v Netherlands Women at Bangkok, Dec 1, 2015 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

Things that surprise me are

1) that China has a cricket team winning at a not insignificant level
2) that they actually appear to have Chinese people playing

China and HK women's team have a lot of local Chinese in them. Basically all the women in those sides have come through the local coaching/development programs, starting from school level. Similar programs exist for men's cricket too, but bulk of the talent comes from the existing clubs and youth structures - parents who are fans of cricket enrol their kids into those, and they learn from there. That naturally tends to be biased towards expats. A lot of the senior men's cricket talent in the country (not necessarily at the Nat level) are expats who learnt their game abroad. The women's club cricket, from what I know, is a lot more home-grown.

 

[cnerd123]

Tape ball cricket is still very popular in here BD. I grew up playing tape ball cricket everyday in the evenings after school. Still play it whenever I get the chance. It's great fun.

tape ball is life. Biggest thing I miss about Dubai

 

[cnerd123]

Related to the talk about ethnically Chinese Cricketers:

Ming Li aspires to be China's answer to Shane Warne

 

[Black_Warrior]

This piece sums up what I was trying to say earlier about cricket in England and Australia. It's just not part of the mainstream culture. There is a great disconnect. This is not the case in SC. When there was a WC going on in Australia, hardly anyone seemed to care, whereas a WC in Bangladesh and the whole country will talk about nothing else.

Cricket is losing the popularity contest | Cricket | ESPN Cricinfo

 

[marc71178]

Yes, Cricket is clearly not part of the mainstream culture but Gymnastics, Rugby League Swimming and Boxing are (!)

 

[WalkingWicket]

Yes, Cricket is clearly not part of the mainstream culture but Gymnastics, Rugby League Swimming and Boxing are (!)

I think it's the fact that cricket is generally (or at least perceived to be) a middle-class sport in the UK. In regards to SPOTY, and the lack of the cricketer on the list, I think the BBC gets enough flak as it is, so to appear to be cosying up to the old-school tie brigade by putting in a sportsman directly representative of the middle-classes wouldn't be the most popular decision in the world.

Plus I think it's got something to do with Sports funding - sports like Gymnastics and Swimming receive millions of pounds of funding from the government, so it needs to look like they are getting results. Because people don't watch the Gymnastics/Swimming/whatever World Championships, this result will come through someone being nominated for SPOTY.

Of course, in reality, no sport is in the mainstream in the UK except for football. Yet there's no footballer on the list. If the most mainstream sports were put forward, it'd be 11 footballers and Andy Murray. The argument that 'all footballers are characterless so they won't win' is rubbish because Murray won, and he is about as a character-free as you can get.

What's disappointing is that Joe Root is probably more charismatic than the majority of people on that list - Fury excluded.

 

[Dan]

Yes, nobody cares about cricket in Australia. Which is why 120,000 people showed up for the Adelaide Test. Which is why the Matador One Day Cup final was basically a sell-out (admittedly at a small oval). Which is why Boxing Day will still be packed even though the West Indies are ****.

Cricket is about as mainstream as a sport can get in Australia. Boxing Day wouldn't be far behind Origin and the respective NRL and AFL Grand Finals in terms of cultural impact, and cricket isn't limited to one or two states who care.

 

[GotSpin]

Yes, nobody cares about cricket in Australia. Which is why 120,000 people showed up for the Adelaide Test. Which is why the Matador One Day Cup final was basically a sell-out (admittedly at a small oval). Which is why Boxing Day will still be packed even though the West Indies are ****.

Cricket is about as mainstream as a sport can get in Australia. Boxing Day wouldn't be far behind Origin and the respective NRL and AFL Grand Finals in terms of cultural impact, and cricket isn't limited to one or two states who care.

TV ratings for the test were huge as well.

 

[Black_Warrior]

Yes, nobody cares about cricket in Australia. Which is why 120,000 people showed up for the Adelaide Test. Which is why the Matador One Day Cup final was basically a sell-out (admittedly at a small oval). Which is why Boxing Day will still be packed even though the West Indies are ****.

Cricket is about as mainstream as a sport can get in Australia. Boxing Day wouldn't be far behind Origin and the respective NRL and AFL Grand Finals in terms of cultural impact, and cricket isn't limited to one or two states who care.

And the first test?
Ok would you just think about this for a moment without getting so defiant and "i have to oppose this guy at all cost' attitude?

Cricket is about as mainstream as a sport can get in Australia. Boxing Day wouldn't be far behind Origin and the respective NRL and AFL Grand Finals in terms of cultural impact,

Suppose it's not the Ashes, do you genuinely believe a Boxing Day test (Australia vs West Indies) wouldn't be far behind NRL or AFL? You genuinely believe that?

If you do, I have absolutely nothing else to add to the conversation. Everyone knows it's not true, you'll be arguing for the sake of it.

 

[cnerd123]

I think whats happening here is a cultural difference. Cricket can still be considered mainstream in England and Aus, but not have the fanatical level of devotion and following that it does in the subcontinent. If you've experienced what its like in the subcontinent, then by comparison its going to seem as if people in Eng and Aus dont care.

 

[Howe_zat]

Football just ****s on everything else here.

And SPOTY is just a really strange award that prioritises individual sport. Cricket isn't that popular but it's not less popular than random athletics competitions or pay per view boxing matches starring dickheads

 

[Victor Ian]

I know they use different balls in test cricket, like the Duke and Kookaburra. Do they use different balls in ODI's?

 

[cnerd123]

I know they use different balls in test cricket, like the Duke and Kookaburra. Do they use different balls in ODI's?

I believe so. It should be the same manufacturer as the Test ball for that country. Not sure though. Maybe they've standardised ODI balls...

 

[Cabinet96]

Pretty sure the Kookaburra is universal in white ball cricket.

 

[cnerd123]

Pretty sure the Kookaburra is universal in white ball cricket.

Yup. Checked wiki and got this:

All limited overs international matches, regardless of location, are played with white Kookaburra balls.[15] White Dukes balls were used at the 1999 Cricket World Cup, but the ball behaved more erratically than the Kookaburra and has not since been used. Domestic competitions may use a domestic manufacturer: for example, Pakistan uses Grays balls in its first class competitions.[16][17]