How To Love Cricket

Not by only cheering for national team victories  

$250 million – that’s one estimate of the revenue the India–Pakistan match will generate tomorrow. It’s an eye-catching figure, but a deeply misleading measure of cricket’s global health. Of the 20 teams in this men’s T20 World Cup, several may not face a “full member” again until the next ICC event. Outside the elite circle, meaningful exposure remains scarce. Even in the West Indies – two-time T20 champions – the sport appears in worrying decline. While Fifa invests aggressively in developing football worldwide,  ICC’s revenue distribution remains heavily skewed toward the Big Three. Cricket’s return to Olympics – 2028 Los Angeles Games – should have happened earlier. One reason it didn’t: ICC’s reluctance to disrupt its own marquee calendar.

In short, the hard work required to help cricket thrive beyond its traditional geographies remains unfinished. But the mirror must turn inward too. Indian fans are passionate, even dominant in global arenas. Yet English county cricket still draws loyal crowds for domestic matches – something Ranji or Duleep Trophy can rarely claim. Indifference to first-class cricket at home suggests a narrowing of affection. Loving only your national team’s victories is not quite the same as loving the game itself. Part of the shift lies in marketing. In India, cricket is increasingly sold through the prism of high-voltage nationalism. That may boost ratings and revenue. But it diminishes sport – and shrinks the imagination of its audience.

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