Cricket, the empire on the attack
The origin. The first games of cricket were played in the south of England in the 16th century. The name seems to come from the English term « cryce » which means crutch. At the end of the 18th century, cricket established itself as the national sport of the British Empire. Its extension led to the first international meetings in the course of the 19th century. The ten countries which now play official test matches around the world are all former British colonies. Besides England (and Wales), there are Australia, South Africa, the Caribbean, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.
The competition. In order to offer sport greater media visibility, the ICC, the International cricket council, has decided to organize a World Cup every four years, on the model of what is done in football. The first edition, which took place in England in 1975, brought together 8 participants for 15 meetings. The one played this year in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, brings together 14 countries (104 participated in qualifying) with 49 matches on the program. The 2011 final pits India against Sri Lanka on Saturday. With four successes, Australia is the most successful country.
Sri Lanka eliminates England in 1/4 this year:
The principle … in attack. Cricket obviously shares a lot in common with baseball, its American cousin. The attacking team has two beaters, each located in front of one of the two wickets – three vertical poles -, separated on the field by about twenty meters. The goal for drummers is to achieve rsome, or courses in French. A change of position between the two batsmen is worth a point. If the ball goes out of bounds after touching the ground, it is worth four rsome. And if she comes out without touching the ground, it pays six runs. It’s the perfect shot.
The principle … in defense. The goal for the defending team is to eliminate the batter with a good pitch, which is most often done with a rebound, unlike baseball. The most classic elimination consists of catching the thrown ball, either via the wicket keeper, the player behind the batsman, or with one of the other nine outfielders, the hunters, if the ball has not touched the ground. after the bat. But there are ten different ways to eliminate a batsman altogether. One of them consists, for example, in destroying the counter.
The course of the game. The two teams evolve alternately in attack and defense. During a round, one of the teams, called in, is at bat, while the other team, said out, tries to end the period of play. During the second round, the roles are reversed. The team with the most runs takes it away. Several meeting formats exist. In the World Cup, it is an « international one-day », that is to say that the match is limited in the number of throws. This is not necessarily the case for some test matches, which can be spread over several days.
The star. The Indian Sachin Tendulkar was playing his sixth and probably last World Cup this year. This exceptional drummer is the player who has registered the most races in the history of the World Cup. Last year, he achieved the highest individual score in ODI at 200 races. In the final on Saturday, he will try to reach the 100 races in a match for the 100th time in his career …
Sachin Tendulkar takes the ball three times in a row:
The story. Sometimes the big story comes into the little one. Tuesday, the semi-final between India and Pakistan was the scene of an unprecedented diplomatic rapprochement. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yusuf Raza Gilani were indeed side by side in the Mohali stadium, located in the Indian state of Punjab, bordering Pakistan. It was the first time that an Indian head of state has used a cricket match in an attempt to warm diplomatic relations between the two countries. To read : India-Pakistan, cricket diplomacy
The statement. On February 28, Steven Davies, former England Under-19 captain, revealed his homosexuality in an interview with Telegraph. It is the first time in the history of cricket that an active player has made his “coming out” in this way. To read : An unprecedented « coming out » in the world of cricket
The drama. On March 3, 2009, hours before a cricket test match in Lahore, Pakistan, a masked commando group of twelve men attacked the Sri Lankan team bus. This attack left eight dead, six police officers and two civilians, and seven injured among the players and the staff of the Sri Lankan team. This sad episode had shaken the world of cricket.
The Sri Lankan team victim of a terrorist attack in 2009:
The film. Cricket is an integral part of popular culture in Commonwealth countries and many films deal more or less directly with the subject. This is particularly the case of Lagaan, released in 2001. In this Indian feature film, the story of which takes place when India was under British command, villagers ignorant of cricket must win a match in order to obtain the abolition of various taxes. Lagaan was nominated for an Oscar for best foreign film and its DVD sales have long been the most important for a Bollywood film.
Watch the trailer for Lagaan :
