Why Is Cricket so Popular in India and Pakistan?

India and Pakistan are not on the same side when it comes to politics, but there is one thing that makes them really close — sports. Cricket, to be precise. They are the biggest rivals in this game and are ready to do anything to win. Both countries have been very dedicated to developing cricket, and their national teams are among the best ones in the world.

Why has this sport caught on so well in these countries and what made them fall in love with it?

You are probably excited as much as every other visitor of this site about the upcoming Cricket World Cup 2019 that will be the 12th edition of this competition and will take place in England and Wales from May 30 – July 14. Until then, let’s take a closer look at the reasons why this sport became so popular in the two Asian countries.

Cricket Is Not an Expensive Sport

Unlike tennis, for example, cricket is a sport that does not require a lot of money. The gear is relatively cheap, and the majority of people in India and Pakistan are able to acquire it and start playing.

Truth be told, both India and Pakistan are huge countries with millions of people who might not be able to afford personal tennis coaches. On the other hand, cricket academies are not that expensive, with an average annual price in India ranging between ₹10,000 and ₹50,000. In other words, many children and young adults from these two countries are able to enjoy cricket.

 

Popular Players Emerged

One of the reasons why some sports become popular in certain parts of the world is the success of individual athletes or sports teams. Some of the athletes that made a huge impact on the popularity of cricket in India are Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, Kapil Dev, and many others.

When it comes to Pakistan, some of the players that revolutionised the game include Imran Khan (who actually became the PM of Pakistan), Wasim Akram, Hanif Mohammad, Javed Miandad, Waqar Younis, etc.

With all these players to inspire new generations of cricket players, India and Pakistan will definitely preserve their tradition of being the best in cricket. In fact, it is safe to say that cricket runs through their veins now and that they will remain the two countries with the best cricket players ever.

The British Empire Was Here

Since the British colonised India and Pakistan, they were not really a friend of the two countries. However, they left behind many customs and traditions, one of them being cricket.

The sport was actually invented in England and the first recorded game ever was in the 16th century. Although the exact origin of the game cannot be determined, many believe that it was a game that children used to play during the medieval period. Cricket grew to become a professional sport, and the British played it wherever they could, including India and Pakistan, which made the citizens of these two countries immediately fall in love with the sport.

Sponsors’ Support

The media and sponsors have been creating a lot of hype around various things for a very long time, and it seems that they played an important role in popularising cricket in Pakistan and India. Many professional teams were supported by internationally popular brands which saw an opportunity to promote themselves, reaching millions of people who love cricket.

They further contributed to making cricket popular by investing a lot of money. As a matter of fact, cricket is the only sport in India and Pakistan that allows young people to earn millions of rupees.

Powerful Gaming Boards

Gaming boards of India and Pakistan have done a great job when it comes to promoting this sport. They did that by organizing numerous events and leading the national teams. They are putting in a lot of hard work into the promotion of cricket in both countries and making sure that it stays the most popular sport in these Asian countries.

The India-Pakistan Rivalry

When it comes to playing cricket, India has always perceived Pakistan as their arch-enemy, and vice versa. Both countries love cricket so much that they crossed the realm of sports a couple of times, turning the rivalry into violent clashes. Naturally, gaming boards of both countries are doing everything in their power to put a stop to such incidents, but the fact that this rivalry exists probably persuaded many young people to fall in love with cricket and take up cricket lessons.

The games played between the two countries are very intense, even nowadays, and are considered the most passionate in the world of sports.

Conclusion

Many other less significant factors influenced both countries and their citizens, making them continually fall in love with cricket. Tourists are often fascinated with the amount of passion cricket lovers display when watching the sport, as cricket is something both nations have cherished and will continue to cherish for a very long time.