Sport Expresses culture

The game of cricket traces its roots to the heart of England during the height of the British Empire.  The sport spread through this empire as far east as Indonesia, south to Botswana, and as far west as Guyana, as well as outside of the British empire to places such as, Australia, France, and much of the rest of Europe. Today, the sport is still spreading around the world and growing in popularity. Over forty member countries participate in the cricket world cup, and individuals around the world will consistently tune in to watch.

The United States is no exception to this extensive diffusion of the sport.  The US has its own Cricket World Cup team, national and international teams, and is represented in the International Cricket Council, or ICC.  Numerous Americans watch cricket on TV, and cricket sporting equipment can be found in most large sports stores within the U.S.

It is therefore no surprise that cricket has swept into Annandale as well.  The great diversity of Annandale and AHS makes this an ideal location for the fostering of new or foreign sports.

Nithin Pai, a senior at AHS plays cricket, and enjoys watching professional competitions such as the World Cup.  Pai’s interest in the sport can be attributed largely to his Indian heritage and background.

“Back in India, cricket is like a religion, it’s more than just a sport.  It’s like football here,” he explains.  “It was in my family, we all play, so I like it,” he says, “but most importantly, it’s fun.”

It is for this reason that he continued playing in the U.S. and has maintained an interest in the sport.  However, he, and other fans of cricket, has found some difficulty in playing the sport here in Annandale.  There is only one purpose built cricket field in Alexandria, located in Morningside apartments that it seems all local fans of the sport know of.

The inconvenience of this single field has required creativity and resourcefulness from Annandale cricket fans wishing to play.

Not having an available, proper field presents a problem because, similarly to other sports, cricket requires a specifically proportioned field for a good game to be played.  The field consists of an outfield marked by a boundary, an infield, and a close-infield where the majority of the action occurs.
Within the close-infield, a bowler representing one of the two teams attempts to knock over a wicket of three pegs while a batsman representing the other team attempts to protect them.  The batsman simultaneously works to score runs by hitting the bowler’s ball outside of the boundary, or by switching positions with a second batsman at the other end of the close-infield.

Meanwhile, the fielding team keeps the ball in play and tries to prevent the batsman from hitting the ball outside of the boundary.  At the conclusion of the game, brought on by the finishing of a set number of innings, the team with the highest number of runs will win.

The sport of cricket is most easily compared to the largely American sport of baseball, but also contains elements of bowling, lacrosse, and soccer.  However, one element of cricket is similar to all other sports; friendly rivalry.

“I like that it [cricket] has the spirit of competition,” says Bhadrou Nair.  “You have to keep your head above the field and make big decisions all the time.  It keeps you thinking.” Consequently, Nair’s favorite professional teams are those that show the same adoration of competition.  “I watch if South Africa is playing,” he says, “they have a fighting spirit.  They never give up without a fight.”

Televised professional cricket is accessible in the U.S., but it’s not as easy as tuning into more mainstream sports such as football or soccer.  To view up to date cricket matches, fans of the sport will subscribe to cable or satellite foreign channels or international sports networks.

This inconvenience, similarly to the lack of fields in Annandale, does not stop fans of the sport from watching. 

“We watch it everyday,” said senior Masih Tamim, a recent fan of the sport.  Masih has not always played cricket, and became interested through his friends.

He serves as an example of how the sport is spreading, as well as rising in popularity here in Annandale and across the U.S.

“People who play cricket go to different countries and tell them about it, and they like it so it, becomes more popular,” explains sophomore Deepak Gahlot.  Gahlot is sure of the rising popularity of cricket.  “There’s always more teams coming on,” he says.

Pai agrees, “It will be getting more popular in years to come.”  Others, however, are not so sure.

“I don’t think so,” responded Bhadrou Nair when asked whether he believes cricket’s popularity would continue to grow.  “For one thing there’s already football [in the U.S.].  When you have a big sport like that, the others stay small.

Even Pai agrees to some degree, “It is popular here, but not that popular,” he admits.

Whether cricket continues to spread as expeditiously as it has before remains questionable, but the sport has indisputably established strong roots here in the U.S., as well as within AHS.  With the recent creation of cricket leagues within the Annandale community and the constant spreading of traditions and customs from people to people, it seems entirely likely that the sport will continue to thrive here and elsewhere.