Can Cricket Take Over Soccer?

[aussie]

To answer the question of the thread i'd say no, but IMO Cricket is pretty much the second most popular sport in the world.

 

[Goughy]

The fact that there are only 10 major international teams (And in England, cricket is still the secondary sport) compared to the swathes of International football teams proves that football has a greater appeal across the World than the sound of leather on willow. As Voltman said, it's simplicity will keep it ahead of Cricket for a long, long time.

Cricket will never catch up with football as the global game. However, you state that there are only 10 major international cricket teams. This is down to the structure of international cricket. If it was broken down in a soccer style format the numbers would be different.

For example there are a number of nations that play a decent level of cricket and a number more that are improving. It is true that Nepal will never be better than England at cricket but it is also true that New Zealand will never be better than Brasil at football

The list of decent countries, if looked at in a football format, includes

ICC Members
England
Australia
India
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
New Zeakand
Bangladesh
Zimbabwe
South Africa

West Indies
Antigua and Barbuda
Barbados
Dominica
Grenada
Guyana
Jamaica
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Trinidad and Tobago

WC Qualifiers
Bermuda
Ireland
Scotland
Kenya
The Netherlands
Canada

Previously competed in WC or CT
USA
Namibia
UAE

Country currently playing as a part of another
Wales

Historical Cricket Programs
Argentina
Denmark

Emerging Nations
Nepal
Afghanistan
Cayman Islands
Oman

+ numerous others with half decent systems in place

This is 30+ countries. Nowhere near as many as football but a decent position to be in and pretty healthy IMO.

Also international football is not based on parity. Only 7 teams have won the FIFA World Cup since 1930 whereas 5 teams have won the ICC World Cup since it began in 1975. In fact since the cricket World Cup started the same number of teams have won the competitions (Australia, WI, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India for cricket and Brazil, Argentina, France, Italy and Germany for football).

 

[Xuhaib]

If English footballers keep on producing this pile of BS and we have another hotly contested Ashes like last summer then who knows it might take over football as the leading game in England.

 

[Jono]

^ Haha, that would be cool if that occured.

 

[aussie]

If English footballers keep on producing this pile of BS and we have another hotly contested Ashes like last summer then who knows it might take over football as the leading game in England.

word, i woudn't mind that one bit.

 

[Gloucefan]

Not really. The only two states in Australia that actually play rugby are NSW and Queensland. The rest of the country doesn't give a **** about rugby.

Cricket's easily the second most popular sport behind AFL (and maybe netball)

In England you would have to say at least spectators go Rugby Union and League is far more popular than cricket. County Clubs would kill for the size of crouds, both codes, domestic Rugby gets even if compared to football they aren't that special.

 

[Smudge]

And forming one rugby code could never happen. The scars are too deep.

Bring up Vichy. Go on, you know you want to.

 

[Xuhaib]

In England you would have to say at least spectators go Rugby Union and League is far more popular than cricket. County Clubs would kill for the size of crouds, both codes, domestic Rugby gets even if compared to football they aren't that special.

County 4 day matches will never draw huge crowds due to the time factor even if cricket gets more and more popular, the best way to judge the popularity would be to compare the RU and RL crowds with 20/20 crowds.

 

[BoyBrumby]

County 4 day matches will never draw huge crowds due to the time factor even if cricket gets more and more popular, the best way to judge the popularity would be to compare the RU and RL crowds with 20/20 crowds.

Bit arbitrary for mine. Test matches are 5 days long & they do all right, bums-on-seats wise.

 

[Xuhaib]

Bit arbitrary for mine. Test matches are 5 days long & they do all right, bums-on-seats wise.

Tests are considered the pinnacle of the game especially in England. People will always come to test matches as they want to see their country perform against another country in the most orignal and demanding form of th game.

 

[Neil Pickup]

In England you would have to say at least spectators go Rugby Union and League is far more popular than cricket. County Clubs would kill for the size of crouds, both codes, domestic Rugby gets even if compared to football they aren't that special.

T20 crowds are comparable though? Look at player base in amateur clubs, though. Cricket much match or outstrip the rugby codes there.

 

[steds]

Look at player base in amateur clubs, though. Cricket much match or outstrip the rugby codes there.

Maybe in your neck of the woods.