Cricket

Many Americans have never heard of cricket, a popular team sport in many countries around the world. Cricket was developed in Britain, where next to football (soccer), it is the most popular sport.

In the 19th and 20th centuries the British colonized many countries in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean. The British colonialists took with them their love of the game of cricket. Today the game is widely played throughout New Zealand, Australia, Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Cricket is also very popular in the English speaking islands of the West Indies. In Africa, although not nearly as popular as football, cricket is enjoyed and played primarily in three countries, Kenya, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.

The game of cricket is a “bat and ball” game that is played by teams comprised of 11 players. Cricket matches are too complicated to explain here, and take a long time to play. International matches between national teams last a minimum of one day and can last up to five days! If you would like to learn more about cricket you can visit one of the many websites dedicated to the sport: http://www-usa.cricket.org/index.html

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A Zimbabwean batsman in an international match against the West Indies

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A South African Batsman in an international match against India

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A cricket match