When we talk about the most popular sports in the world, we probably wouldn’t think of cricket immediately, although that depends where we come from. Nevertheless, if we see the list of world’s most favorite sports we will certainly be surprised. Cricket is ranked as second by having over 2.5 billion fans, mainly in Australia, Asia and the UK. Its popularity has risen greatly through the years, and it its development is continuing to surprise its fans. Here are some of the most important information, concerning cricket throughout the years and today.
Origins and Development
This game has its origins in south-east England. It dates back to the 16th century, when the first reference to a game similar to cricket was noticed. At first, it was recognized as a children game that was played in a court in Guldford back in 1589. Later on, it continued to be played usually on clearings, or any wider land. As a ball, children used a lump of sheep wool or a stone, whereas as a bat – a bowl. The name derived from an Old English word “cricc” meaning staff.
As a game of the adults, cricket developed in the 17th century, mainly in the village areas. Furthermore, in 1844 the first international matches were organized, and by this time its popularity has reached to the counties. Cricket was even included in many gambling games. During the 19th and the 20th century it continued to develop and became recognized in many countries worldwide.
Best Players
The ICC Player Rankings gives us a detailed list of the best cricket players. There are three different rankings of batsmen, bowlers and all-rounders. The players’ scores are divided according to Test, ODI and T20I. Let’s make a short overview of some of them.
The best Test Batsman is Steven Smith with a rating of 947. He is an Australian cricketer, who is also the captain of the Australian National Team. He has won many trophies and has influenced Australian cricket a lot.
Furthermore, best Test Bowler is Kagiso Rabada, a South-African player who has a rating of 902. It has reached a great popularity both home and abroad, and by only 22 years has reached the top rankings on many world’s lists.
In addition, the best Test All-Rounder is Shakib Al Hasan with an ICC rating of 421. He is a player from Bangladesh, and is currently the captain of Twenty20 International and Tests.
Popularity Today
With the easy access to internet we have nowadays, it is pretty simple to follow every sport event we are interested in. The same goes for cricket. There are many sports sites where you can watch the games and results, and there are many gambling sites which allow you to bet on your favorite teams. For example, NetBet Live offers players many live and exciting games, while you are awaiting for sports results you have bet on. If you are lucky, you can double win, who knows?