Has Cricket Become A Religion?
55Disclaimer: All the views are based on my personal experiences. In some parts there maybe a mention of race, nationality or religion but it is not meant to be hurting to anyone.
After the recent issue where in the Top 20 Best Test Players list released by ICC there wasn't a mention of Sachin Tendulkar my younger brother was very upset. I can understand people getting passionate about religion or politics but getting so passonate about cricket(somewhat baffles me). My friend SiddSingh has a written an article about this issue. I wanted to pacify him but his obsession for cricket had made him see no reason. He was going on about the fact that guys who have half the records that Tendulkar has but still get knighted, about how the ICC appointed referees are lenient of Australian players "bad behavior" but quick to react to punish players from the sub continent. And he didn't stop there he started leveling serious accusations like the color of skin determines how the world judges an individual i.e., if Mahatma Gandhi was a non violent, peace loving liberator from Europe or North America he probably would have got the Nobel Peace Prize and so on. I just couldn't control his ranting and was wondering why he is coming out with so much passion when after all it is just a sports list and one can be sportive about it. Apparently not for him was the conclusion I could come up with.
I once saw in a cricket stadium a poster saying "Cricket is our religion and Sachin is our God". Maybe cricket has gone on to have a greater influence on the collective psyche of the nation than anything else that the erstwhile British had introduced during their colonial years. I still remember when we were kids we used to have lots of friends coming over and the whole house would be like a circus. Guys would be jumping, clapping, giving each other hi fives or shouting at the top of their voice(and during one such jumping events my brothers friend's hand hit him while he was holding the tea cup and it spilled on his favorite T-Shirt)...LOL. We(mostly my patient mom) would be serving the guys with endless cups of Tea and biscuits/mixture or any other Indian snacks available. My brother would personally go a week before to restock all the snacks for the upcoming matches. I found it disturbing enough sometimes and would head off to the nearest library to study. But even there the librarian would request me that he wanted to close the library 10 minutes early so that he could go home and watch Cricket. In 1999 when my cousin sister's marriage was being held at Hyderabad we went for shopping to Charminar area for buying Jewelry. In one of the Pearl Jewelry shops there the owner left us alone with all the pearl sets to go inside to watch cricket and told us to shout for him when we are ready to buy (I mean trusting your shop to strangers in India isn't a good idea). Even the streets would be relatively empty and almost everybody would be watching cricket. During my undergrad days one of my professors requested a certain lecture to be cancelled(his reasoning anyway nobody is going to come to the class when there is cricket). It is as if the whole world has come to a standstill.
The reason I gave all those incidents was just to mention that some could be so passionate about this sport. I once accidentally mentioned that Shahid Afridi (a Pakistani player) is cute and my brother took serious exception to that. I don't really understand what was that I said so wrong for him to get upset so about it. By the way now I don't find him so cute anymore(trying to set the record straight)...LOL.
Another thing was if Rahul Dravid(nick name The Wall) fails to get some runs then one of his earlier favorite batsman would be told to retire(since "The Wall" is crumbling). Almost anybody and everybody has a strong view about cricket selections and who should/shouldn't be selected in the playing 11. When Yuvraj Singh hits six sixes in a over then overnight he becomes the new "messiah".
In recent times I have started wondering about my quiet and normally cool brother when he becomes so passionate then is it due to cricket or sports in general. Even in US I have seen when Football(American football not soccer) season is underway then the passions tend to run high. Do men usually have innate aggressive and competitive spirit within them. And since there isn't much outlet to release that in present times then has sports in general became the substitute.
Yuvraj Singh Six Sixes
Is Sports an outlet for aggression/competitive spirit in guys?
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hi countrywomen. As you're finding out, fans can be overly passionate when it comes to their sports. Cricket is not popular in the US, but American Football is insane. I don't think it matters what sport, hwen it comes to crazed fans, they are everywhere. Nice hub.
Cricket is our national religion Countrywoman, and all men are the high priests ..... some women too!
I feel that Indians are emotionally approaching the sports. I may be wrong. I used to hear cricket commentaries from the days of Pataudi nawab (1960s). Those days only radio. We use to admire the running commentaries of one Mr. Chakrapani. Now TV has come and the actions of the batsman or bowlers can be followed closely. Now lots of techniques. One innings is not like the other. However the sports is fully understood by the mass. Only very few are able to enjoy the game. I amy be wrong. If so kindly correct me.
CCR- Sure I want mess with your team. I was just trying to come to some conclusions about my brother's passion for cricket in particular and sports in general. I am sure there are some woman too who indulge in watching sports and are passionate about it. Thanks for stopping by.
Joe- That is true. Fans can go out of control in many places. I have seen soccer fans in Europe being involved in fights/stampedes. Thanks for stopping by.
Ritu- Yes there are some woman too who are the high priests. I don't know whether they are also as passionate in their outward behavior as some men exhibit..LOL
Muthusamy- I think what you are saying is similar to what I feel too that we are getting too emotional(or passionate) about sports. Of course my range of experience only covers last 15 years but yours is of much longer and hence greater insight about this. As you have mentioned TV has made certain spectator sports even more appealing for the audience by introducing new varieties like One day or TwentyTwenty format. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Heck I hope not. Soccer is about the same way. Fights and people getting trampled. It is not war it is a game.
It is not a religion, because it doesn't have universal appeal. Americans, Hispanics know little about cricket. I believe it is just a passionate sport that people can get enthusiastic about.
Robert- That's true it is not war and just a game. But I just hope most people would look at it that way. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Vrajavala- I know it is not a religion and I just wanted to poke a question about why some people get as passionate while talking about sports just like Religion or Politics. Yes you are right people get way too enthusiastic in some parts of the world about cricket. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Hi CW,
I agree that cricket is followed with a fervour that exceeds religion, especially in the Indian subcontinent. Cricket is often termed as religion in this part of the world, yet I think there is an interesting difference: Religion and its teachings are ingrained in us mostly from outside influence, i.e., our parents and teachers tell us about it. Yet we somehow develop a deep feeling towards sport (with Indians, it is always cricket!) without any influence. I never stop being amazed by how uniform we are in our passion towards cricket!
And hey, thanks for linking to my article :)
Sid- WOW!! That is an interesting observation about the subtle difference between how we are influenced. No problem and I hope some people do visit your hub too which was written very well. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
CW: I used to date a chiropractor years ago, who would not take me out on a date when the football game was on; he would rush out of his office to watch the game, LOL! I am not sporty, so never got passionate about sports. Not all men are into sports though, neither of my nephews are.
I wonder if besides entertainment, the passion for politics, religion, sports or whatever is a way of just releasing energy- be it anger, boredom, or to energize oneself. When I feel passion for a project- I feel more vital. Just a thought.
hi countrywomen, India is not the only country passionate about cricket or any sport for that matter. We also love our cricket and footy!
You must like the dark haired guys, I thought you would be a big fan of Brett Lee? Big blonde and handsome. LOL
btw as I'm writing this I am watching Australia playing South Africa.
Great Hub you can tell your brother from me, that Australia is still rated the best Test Team. ;-[)
CW,
People get obsessed with all kinds of sports, it just depends on the location as to whether it is football, rubby, soccer, cricket, too, I suppose. I think that identifying with a "team" makes people a part of something. There is so much loneliness in the world, belonging to something is attractive.
Personally, I love football but I just can't get all that fired up or obsessed about it. It should be fun and a part of leasure time activities. But I do understand the obsessed.
Madison
Violet- That is true not everyone maybe so passionate about sports. I have even met one girl who is a big fan of Oakland Raiders. I guess you are right when we feel passion for something then some may feel that life is having more vitality. That was a very astute observation. Thanks for stopping by.
Agvulpes- Yes that is true that they are still the No.1 team for now and maybe by the end of this year it may or may not be the case. Great bowlers like Mcgrath and Warne are a vacuum that no team can fill in quickly. Well I like dark haired guys and even James Bond I don't feel the same connection with Daniel Craig as much as Pierce Brosnan, Roger Moore or Sean Connery. You must be thrilled that Australia won the match. South Africans have a great never say die attitude which is really remarkable. Well ever since the last series in Australia he isn't too happy with the Australian teams behavior. I just hope he doesn't consider all Australians like that. People tend to generalize so often based on a few people or a handful of incidents. Thanks for stopping by "Mate".
Madison- Maybe you are right it is part of the feeling of "belonging" that we all crave for. Also it may give a sense of identity as you have pointed out. I have seen in general woman don't get as fired up or obsessed with sports as much as guys do. I agree it could be just another entertainment like watching a movie. But staying up late to watch it and skipping sleep tends to border on obsession. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
very intriguing. Being an American and therefore careless about cricket (or sports in general, in my case) I cannot relate to this specifically. I have watched many a Christian deify american football, though, and that bothers me.
I can never understand why people, mainly men, get so very serious about their sports. I mean to see grown men cry over their football team losing an important match is pretty daft if you ask me, especially as those same men would probably not cry over a tragic genuine news story for fear of being seen as weak. Personally I prefer simply to find out what the results were after a match, without physically having to watch the match, far easier and less time consuming.
As for cricket, well, it is very popular, but does nothing for me apart from finding the famous "Johnners" quotes hilarious. One of my ex's however loved it, and collected the "Wisdon Cricket Books". I thought they were horrible. Ancient looking shabby books on Cricket (published annually) that looked like they should be in the local jumble sale, yet certain years can sell for hundreds of pounds now if they are rare editions. Even the not such rare ones go for £40 plus.
Cricket is certainly one of the greatest games ever invented. :)
T.kelley- Well I have seen most of the guys being passionate about there sports teams which isn't a bad emotion per se but maybe obsession would be overdoing it a little too much. I totally echo your emotion and there are other outlets where our energies can be utilized. You are a musician and that maybe your forte. My brother used to collect and memorize so many fact about cricketers which I found amusing (about the purpose served in such facts). Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Misty- Even they are humans and should be allowed to shed a few tears too....hehe. But seriously I think some people get too passionate and their team maybe an extended self of there own existence. I once suggested my brother to watch the highlights instead of the whole match and he said it was good to see a recap but it can't substitute the actual thrill one gets where any ball can change the course of the match. Some of those limited editions do sell for a big amount as there would be others like them searching online in sites like ebay to buy/sell such things. My brother also has certain collections but I am not sure if he is ever going to sell any of it. Thanks for stopping by sister.
Quicksand- Those born and raised in Indian sub continent do love their cricket a lot. I am sure the British would be proud of inventing/spreading this great game all over the commonwealth countries. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
No, Bingo is a religion - at least to hear the residents of the Assisted Living where I used to work talk, you'd think so anyway. Lots of the same passion as you relate here! LOL! :D
Even if people do not view a sport as a religion, I think maybe people just as passionate about playing or viewing a sport than as an adherent of a religion. Once I was taking a Medieval Italian history class and all of our readings were about people that were to go to sermons given by priests. Several students asked why Medieval Italians and Europeans in general were so obsessed with church sermons, and she succintly pointed out they were the rock stars of their day.
Today people have a wider varity of entertainment options, so I can see why some are drawn to sports teams. I have no interest in sports really, except for maybe when gymnastics is on during the Olympics. However, I find myself getting caught up in hubpages and certain shows I like. I have been looking forward to the third season premier of Big Love and tonight I was totally deligted to finally see it. On the Big Love website people even post on the message boards pretending like it they are one of the Hendricksons. There is a game you can play to see which Sister wife you are, so I am sure some people spend just as much time watching a show as some spend in church.
Thus I think for those of us who are not going to a religious shrine for several hours a week that any activity, sport's team, or form of entertainment can make us devoted as a religion.
Lol! I have a lot to say about cricket, but I don't want to take up your bandwidth!!!
Suzanne- WOW!! So the feeling is universal across all age groups. I thought people may have other important things in life once they keep growing wiser. Now I will have to watch out my for kid brother whether his passion mellows over a period or not. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
SweetiePie- Yes that is true if somebody becomes popular like this cricketers in India then they become like Icons for many. My brother has huge posters of Sportstars ranging from Cricketers to Tennis players (like Sania Mirza & Maria Sharapova) in his room. He seems to be totally a sports freak (anymore mention of him and he will be mad at me if he happens to read this hub)..hehe.
Luckily he isn't into virtual sports which seems to be fast catching on (at least not that I am aware of). Yes that is true anything that we keep our minds focused on we tend to get passionate about it. Thanks a lot for your nice comments.
Quicksand- Keep saying all that you want to comment my friend as I have the insider info that hub pages has infinite bandwidth(just kidding!!)...LOL
Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
In Alabama it's college football, in Indiana it's Basketball ... and it's certainly not just the males!
P.S. Roll Tide!!!
(For those of you not from the South - that's the loyalty cry for Alabama football fans)
Bdazzler- Actually more than college football I guess college basketball seems more popular. For football it seems NFL is more popular than college football as per my conversations with a few guys in my office. Oh yes I am sure there are many women who like sports as much as men do. Now that is something that I didn't know earlier so here's call for go "ROll TIDE". Actually just for namesake do people in Alabama like Obama as both names have the same ring to it...LOL
Passion should run deep...LOL. My passion for God (not religion) is far more intense than my passion for football. Both passions serve as a release.
I love shouting Halleujah and screaming a the television set during a good football game. Though I must confess, I yell louder at football than in church.
G'day Mate, and Die'Dre, just a little note to add that our aussie footballers seem to be taking over the NFL, and one will be in the Super Bowl. Whatever that is? Sounds like a fruit salad!
Thats not football, thats a game for sissies. Try a real football game Australian Rules Football!
Die'Dre'- Glad to meet a woman who is so passionate for football. I wonder which is that lucky team to be at the receiving end of your loud cheering. Thanks for stopping by.
Agvulpes- WOW!! Then some of us on this side of the Pacific now get to see Australian football. Btw your last statement seems to suggest that the Australian team in US would be like letting a cat among the pigeons. No more comments as there are die hard football fans on this side of the ocean who may STRONGLY disagree with you...LOL
CW -what is cricket?
Lgali- If you are asking if I believe cricket is a religion then the serious answer would be NO. But if in general you are not aware then Cricket is a sport played in Commonwealth countries. There is an insect also that is called as cricket. Hope that helps. Here are some more links for you:
countrywomen -thanks for detail explanation
Lgali- You are always welcome my friend.
another good article..
Thanks a lot Lgali. Have a good day.
This is a very thought provoking discussion as usual. I think sports satisfies a need in an individual to see that someone like can do what I can't - they can excel in ways that I can't. They become an extension of our competetive self - especially if they are from our favorite team. This is especially true of guys but there are some very ardent women who are sports fanatics. And you have a point CW, many specialists have likened the fan mentality to the worship experience. The fans gather in one place as worshippers gather in church or the temple or mosque, they chant slogans to egg their team on and quite often get very emotionally involved even entranced as the game progresses. So cricket, as any sport, can take on the overtones of a religious experience and invoke the same passions. Sometimes they can run ahead of the person if not checked.
By the way, I live in Arizona but have always been a Dallas Cowboys fan. But after this Sunday, I'm a converted Arizona Cardinals fan. Go Cards!!
Thanks for the challenge CW.
PenmanZee- WOW!! I don't know about those studies and would like to research about the fan mentality. Yes I do understand the emotions as I have a younger brother too but sometimes when the sport overtakes your life style or routine than that really surprises me. Actually sometimes even for religious/spiritual gathering that much passion isn't seen but for sports way too much passion is shown(I am only referring to the experience observed about my brother and his friends).
Nice to see that you have a healthy appreciation for sports which even I have (or rather I couldn't avoid having)..LOL
Nice Hub countrywomen! My husband is a HUGE football fan and loves just about every sport; however, not cricket to date. I know the intense emotions involved in being a fan. Outrageous at time to say the least.
Being English, we don't know much about cricket or how to play. LOL. Why do people insist on calling football, 'Soccer' too. Why is Grid Iron constantly refered to as football when the ball is thrown not kicked, other than to take a field goal, punt or convert a touchdown. What's with all the padding too, why don't they take their hits like us Rugby playing nations. I would also like to congratulate The Proteas on their resounding victory in the recent test series in Australia. WOOOHOOO. Is that passion or religion creeping in.
Darlene- It seems you also approve of his passion. To a certain extent being a fan is ok but sometimes it can just cross all limits. I am sure you must have had many outrageous moments. Thanks for stopping by.
NDBEES- That was a rather sarcastic comment about English not knowing how to play cricket. Many people in India do admire KP and Freddie. Well about US nomenclature it just surprises me that the baseball series is called world series too. I am not sure if I mention about the US "football" players having padding would be taken nicely with some of my office colleagues. Rugby I heard is a big sport in UK, South Africa, Australia and NZ. You Englishmen love to see the Aussies get thrashed (don't worry many Indians share the same sentiment/passion)...hehe
I like to think I'm an intelligent person, but I couldn't make heads or tails of cricket to save my life
Eyeam4anarchy- I am sure you are an intelligent person and not for "anarchy" (as that might ensue when some fans become very passionate and then you better stay away from them to save your "life")...LOL
I am very much for anarchy. You should read my hub on the biggest misconception about Anarchism:
http://hubpages.com/hub/TrueNatureOfAnarchism
;^)
As an American I can see where you are coming from. We have a similar phenomenon with baseball. Perhaps they call it "test" because some fans are testing our sense of humor?
Love your site.
Ronnie
Eyem4anarchy- Thanks for that link and I did read it briefly. I will read it completely to comment about it. I surely had a lot of misconception and thanks for educating me.
RVDaniels- You are so right about the "testing" part as my mother was way too patient with my brother. It surely tested the limits of my patience at times. Thanks for visiting and commenting.
They just love it and ofcourse it's the only other way than war to whip Pakistan and Bangladesh not that they would want or wish for war but they can feel superior through Sport
Hubber-2009,
That maybe so true. Anyway it is far more peaceful and conducive if those feelings of "superiority" are decided by way of friendly matches rather than actual wars. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
I believe in India Cricket is one of the religion and people follow it strictly.
Andrew- Yes people follow cricket with lots of passion in India. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Another great post, same can be said here people follow NFL passionately, I think it is universal. People still have the "Gladiator" gene in them it seems :) only blood is not involved but the passions remain.
Cgull8m- I am aware of football passion. Since I did my MS in a football crazy University here. I suspect that could be one of the reasons why some people like sports so much. Well sometimes in some sports like Bull fighting even blood is involved (but again it could be a cultural thing hence I have nothing against those people who like it). Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
countrywomen,
I can say seeing a school go sports crazy was a little disappointing, and that is one of the reasons my alma mater UCR evolved from an small intimate campus to an over sized school. Many of our professors and us students wanted to keep the school small, and we still had sports there, but this meant we were only a division three school. The students were allowed to vote on whether we wanted division one status, which meant the campus would receive more funding for sports and would start building up its image as a bigger up and coming school. This was sort of a sad time for us who enjoyed UCR as a small and quiet campus, but there seems to be no stopping in the name of progress. I remember there were some heated debates over the division one status and those that supported sports and a larger campus won out.
SP- I guess every school wants to become popular. Sometimes some schools sports teams are more recognized then there academic programs. Btw do you have any information whether the school is better off now being bigger or was it better earlier (based on feedback from past/present students faculty/staff)?
Sometimes being popular may put in more money into the system and the results can even be seen in better academic programs.
Cricket is a big game and it has a huge fan following. I agree that people go crazy for it just like people in US as mentioned by you, get crazy for football. It is just enjoying the game together. I don't see it as anything wrong. In passion people generally get emotional which I think is acceptable.
For some cricket may not be a passion so he will not be interested in it rather then for football or soccer for which he may feel more. In any case it is all about enjoying oneself and that I don't think should be read in any other way. It is plain and simple passion.
All these things said I would like to say that I somehow do not agree with what you have written in the last line of this Hub; men have no option to show their aggression so they have chosen sports as the an alternative means. Common this is being a bit unfair; just because men enjoy sports more then women do, does not mean men are always aggressive. And why only men, I can see so many women fans too who equally shout and haul and enjoy the passion of game. I think it's OK.
In todays time when people are so busy with their work, if sports give them a reason to let them enjoy their passion then I guess it is totally fine.
Anyways countrywomen, it was a nice Hub and brought out my passion within. :)
every country has its "religion"game in south asia its cricket, in US basekteball and baseball rule the roost, europe is nuts for football while in ireland people like rugby a lot..... canada has same following for ice hockey so one can say its a global phenomena nothing odd about this.. it is the bes way to keep engage, fit and have a lesuire time
Basketball is down a bit. But it was good that they won the gold medal. Baseball has steriods and that is sad because it destroys all the legitimate records. I knew Clemens and Rodgriguez were cheating age although Clemens still denies it. American Football is the biggest sport in the USA.
Nice commentary. Imagine, If Instead of Sri Lankan it were Indians. By now the nuclear holocaust would have annihilated the sub-continent. The entire India was ready to attack Pak after Mumbai and if five of their gods were hurt in Lahore that was the start of WWIII. Thanks God.
I voted maybe, coz some guys just live for cricket. It shouldn't be. It's just a sport, but who are we to intervene in their cricket lives, as long as violence and politics stay ut of it.
I'm pretty crazy about it too and played for our national schools team many ayear ago, but, some where it has to stop as your support doesn't fill your or your kids' tummies... know of people that resigned their jobs to follow their team, Crazy.
C. C. Riter says:
11 months ago
From a man. Don't mess with my team! wHatever that team is, whatever the sport is. I guess it may be a "Man" thing, although there are now many women who are just as much into sports,be it NASCAR or Golf, that terrible Scottish plague that has driven men to madness. To each his/her own and let the games begin!