This article first appeared in the Mar/Apr 2011 issue of World Gaming magazine.
Cricket is arguably the second biggest sport in the world behind football. This may sound like an outrageous claim to some, considering many countries have absolutely no interest in the game. But don’t be surprised if this intellectual game turns up near you shortly.
This year 14 countries will compete in the 2011 World Cup. Cricket is hugely popular in England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the West Indies and its popularity is growing in places like Canada, Ireland, the Netherlands, Kenya and Zimbabwe. In India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh the game is more like a religion than a sport and is the number one national pastime.
Cricket is played in three different forms. Test cricket runs over five days and is the original form of the game that the purists tend to prefer. 50 over or one day cricket is played over the course of a single day and this form will be played in the World Cup. There is much debate over whether 50 over cricket will be replaced by the newest form, Twenty20 cricket, a much faster version of the game.
There is no doubt that Twenty20 cricket is taking the world by storm and along with Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) it is the fastest growing world sport. Big hitting, fast-paced action and acrobatics make for one hell of an exciting game. Dancing girls, music and non-stop action has seen huge crowds turn out in both traditional and emerging markets. This ‘cricket on steroids’ is a game that can be taken to new markets and don’t be surprised to see it spread throughout Asia, America and Europe in the not too distant future.
The 2011 World Cup is being held in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh from 19 February to 2 April. Originally 14 of the matches were to be held in Pakistan, but the ongoing security threat in that country, highlighted by the 2009 attack on the touring Sri Lankan cricket team, has seen Pakistan stripped of its hosting rights by the International Cricket Council.
The World Cup will see 49 games played at 15 venues making the tournament a cricket lover’s dream. Many of the games will be played as day-night games and the atmosphere is sure to be nothing short of electric.
Cricket is one of the biggest sports in the world when it comes to sports betting. Match fixing has dogged the sport in the last few years but with the stakes so high it is hard to imagine this competition will be tainted. Hosts India will start as favourites at around 3/1 just in front of Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka and England who are all around 5/1. Pakistan (8/1), New Zealand (15/1) and the West Indies (25/1) round out the countries with any realistic opportunity of lifting the Cup.
If you’ve never watched a game of cricket, why not find out what all the fuss is about? Over a billion lovers of the game can’t be wrong! To view some of the betting markets for the World Cup check out www.wgm8.com.
