Why Cricket isn't popular in Europe?

Italy Cricket Team
Picture Credits: www.sportskeeda.com

I have grown watching cricket since my childhood. It’s a sport my family follows with passion. Hearing stories of how cricket began and how Indian cricket developed, cricket is and will always be my favourite sport. However, it is sad that there are not many nations playing the sport. Agreed that it is the 2^nd most watched sports in the World, thanks to the Indian population, and let’s just accept the fact that Cricket isn’t that a big sport compared to Football or even Tennis. Cricket became popular amongst the CommonWealth of Nations, once ruled under the British Empire. However, even after being born in England, a European nation, why didn’t the sport spread across other nations in Europe like Italy, France, and Germany etc.? What is the reason behind it? Let’s find out

Back in the early 19^th century, cricket was played in Italy and Germany. However, post the World Wars, and the political feud, the sport failed to attract a lot of masses. It was seen a lot elitist and the rich’s part time exercise. The slow pace of the game, played only by the rich gentleman’s lost the interest of the people willing to play it. On the other hand, football, a fast paced game involving blood and sweat took control over Italy and Germany’s working class population. Slowly and gradually, cricket faded in Italy and Germany.

The European Cricket Federation, now the European Cricket Council (ECC) has the responsibility of spreading across the sport in Europe. It governs cricket in Europe except England & Wales Cricket Team. The success of ECC has been below par to say the truth. Why? Majorly because of the game’s laws. Cricket has many laws which govern it and it is difficult for a newbie in the sport to know why a batsman can be adjudged out LBW (Leg Before Wicket) when the ball is pitching outside off stump, but can’t be when the ball is pitching outside leg stump. A possibility of a 5-day inconclusive match cannot be encouraged with hurrahs, right? And that’s where the problem lies. I’m not even talking about the Duckworth-Lewis method, which most of the cricketers, commentators and even I can’t explain. I’m not saying it is difficult to make people understand, but a person who is probably aged more than 15, and never heard of the game or never seen the game, wouldn’t enjoy playing it or even watching it.
(Assumption- Considered only Test format of the game, as that time there was only one format, and Cricket’s purest form is Test cricket)

Cricket is one game where the interest has to be built up since childhood. I love the sport, but sometimes, even I feel that a day or even 2 days in a Test match gets boring. It’s a drag. I love talking about the sport with anyone, even if that person doesn’t know cricket. Yes, there are people in India too who don’t know much about the sport. I out of my passion talk about the sport and they get mesmerized too, but not to the extent of watching 90 overs for 5 days in a row only to get a drawn result in the end. Imagine, if this is the situation when it comes to Indian people, how difficult it is for the ECC to spread it across nations whose primary sport is not cricket, but football. The budget is less, so are the matches held. Less matches lead to less skill development and thus, less cricket reach.

Another reason why cricket isn’t popular in Europe, is the weather conditions. Cricket is a sport which is weather constrained. You can’t play cricket in rain or in snow. You need a clear weather with nice pitches and lush green outfield. However, how many times have we seen matches been abandoned or days in a Test match go without a ball being bowled in England? A lot of times, and with countries in North Europe, it gets even tougher.

Also, Cricket isn’t an Olympic sport, another reason why sportsmen don’t see the inspiration to play cricket. And thanks to BCCI, it doesn’t find a place in CommonWealth Games or the Asian Games as well. Even the ICC is against it seems as it has made a 14 team World Cup into a 10 team World Cup in 2019. The skill development when it comes to cricket in Europe is less and with such bizarre amendments, it makes it worse for cricket to grow in Europe.

However, the scene isn’t that ugly as it looks, thanks to T-20 cricket, a modification or a complete restructured version of what cricket is and what it used to be. Also, thanks to the leagues, the Indian Premier League (IPL), Big Bash League (BBL) of Australia, the Natwest T20 Blast of England have been successful to a moderate extent to create interest amongst people in Europe. The BCCI and ICC might not want to encourage Cricket’s pure form anymore, but it wants to take T20 cricket to heights. For the 2020 T20 qualifier to qualifier, 62 teams are going to take part, which will come down to 5 team going to play qualifier in 2020. Let’s hope for a good contest here.

Also, hopefully, one day we’ll see an Italian and a French talking about how great Don Bradman and Sachin Tendulkar were.