Cricket might be extremely popular in countries like India, Pakistan, England, Australia, but in North America, its the game of baseball that is more popular. Cricket may have more number of fans, but the game of baseball has big money and baseball clubs are more profitable.
But what about the skills involved? do you require similar set of skills? Are the rules a lot different? Find out more in this video.
Similarities between Cricket & Baseball
- There are two teams that include batters, pitchers/bowlers and fielders.
- Batter hits the ball thrown by the pitcher/bowler, fielders try to catch the ball in the air or stop its progress, and batters try to score by running between markers.
- At the end of the game the team with the most runs wins.
Differences between Baseball and Cricket
- Game of Cricket usually last much longer
- In cricket, you don’t have to play every legal ball. You can let the ball go (No ‘strike’)
- In cricket, if you hit the ball, you don’t have to run. You can stay put.
- In cricket, the ball is “pitched” on the ground before reaching the batsman. This means its trajectory can be a lot more varied than in baseball, since both in-air and bouncing dynamics are involved.
Sir Ian Botham had a go at baseball at the LA Dodgers in the 80s;
They tossed him a few slow ones to start but as he merrily hit them out of the ground; they speeded things up, with little effect as ball followed ball. He then announced, light heartedly, that it was an easy game!
David Gower on Botham;
His interests include most sports: he punishes a golf ball mercilessly, has hit a baseball out of the Dodgers’ stadium in Los Angeles, does not mind a wager on a horse or 12
Before Baseball, Cricket Was America’s Popular Game
Before Baseball (and before the civil war), Cricket was a popular game in America with even president Abraham Lincoln being a big fan of the game. However, post the civil war, the shorter and easier-to-play game of baseball took over and went on to become the national pastime.
However, in recent years, the game of cricket has seen a big comeback and is finding a new life among immigrant communities in the U.S. The game does have the potential to be as big as Football (soccer) in the USA.
Before Baseball, This Was America's Game
NBCNews.com Cricket was first introduced to America by the British in the eighteenth century. Abraham Lincoln was said to have been a fan. The U.S. would often play against Canada in tournaments. But by the Civil War there was a new sport in town—baseball. Easier … |
Baseball Players Switch to Twenty20 Cricket for Better Pay
More and more Baseball Players are considering switching to Twenty20 Cricket, for better pay.
But don’t the top Baseball players earn millions of dollars? Yes, they do, but the players who play in the minor leagues and those who still haven’t made it to the big league yet find it difficult to earn good money.
For them, the game of T20 cricket not only provides an opportunity to earn a better pay, its also a sport where they can take their skills and learn the nuances of the game much faster.
“Any current minor leaguers who feel they aren’t going to make it, or guys who have recently been cut or quit because they simply cannot afford to carry on; they are perfect for a career in modern cricket. And the key things for these guys is that it pays considerably better than the Gulf Coast League.”
Leave a Reply