Essay on “Cricket Mania” Complete Essay for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

Cricket Mania

An old adage says it all: ‘Cricket is a gentleman’s game.” The game of cricket in today’s world has reached its quintessence through the concerted efforts of players, spectators, ICC and not to mention the respective Boards of Control for Cricket of the cricket-playing nations.

These days a lot of hullabaloo is created over the hosting of a cricket match especially in the case of the One-Day International Cricket. Spectators remain glued to the television sets to watch their favourite stars hit a six, play a square cut remove the bails within a second or to the extent of questioning the validity of decision given by the umpire. It is cricket, cricket and cricket all over.

In its present version, the genie of cricket has transcended the ages when Test matches used to be played between a handfuls of nations of the bygone era. The One-day Internationals and the new version Twenty-20 matches are pride of the game in this age of competitive cricket. From children to septuagenarians—all take keen interest in the modern version of cricket. The sustained support for the game from all corners of the society has catapulted the players into stars, who leave no stone unturned to amass wealth and property from the once restricted game of the nobles-cricket—which has now turned into commercial game where lots of money is pumped into for the sake of the game and not for its spirit.

Right from the panwellah of the roadside joint to the top notch managers of MNCs—everybody is frantic about the game. It has become a cricket frenzy society wherein the game,  the players, the bookies–all have become a part and parcel of cricket. One would be considered odd if one does not talk of cricket these days and the hype into the game has turned it into cricket mania.

The game of cricket is gaining popularity day by day as cricket is becoming a professional competitive game involving a lot of strategy, planning and practice both in domestic and international forms of the-game. Currently, more nations are joining the elite club of cricketing nations which once was a domain of a few cricket-playing nations.

The Australians play dominating cricket and have some world class players in their side. The Englishmen have cricket in their blood and soul as it is their national game. The origin of cricket can be traced back to England wherein the game had its humble beginning. The West Indians play competitive cricket and understand the game and its hard and fast rules. India and Pakistan play the game for the sake of defeating the opponent and occupy a place of pride in the subcontinent coupled with the fierce cricket of the Sri Lanka team. The Bangladesh team is a newcomer in the cricketing world as they have qualified through the ICC (International Cricket Council) rating. The other cricket-playing nations are UAE, Scotland, Ireland and the Netherlands among others.

Teams from the African continent include Zimbabwe, South Africa, Kenya and Namibia. The South Africans were in exile from International Cricket and are back into the cricketing arena since 1991-92. The other cricketing teams include New Zealand, Canada, Bermuda—all of them have played International One-Day matches.

The hype and craze for cricket lies more in the One-Day as well as the Twenty-20 versions of the game as their popularity is gaining more and more over the Test Matches. The limited overs cricket had its birth due to an abandoned Test match between England and Australia in 1972. Four days were washed out due to rains and the last day was utilized to play a limited overs game60 overs each side.

In the early seventies, ODI (One-Day International) matches had 120 overs game-60 overs to be bowled by each side. Later in the late seventies each side had to bowl 55 overs thereby making it a 110 overs match. From 1983 onwards a total of 100 overs match-50 overs by each team had to be bowled and this is still continuing in today’s era of modern competitive cricket.

An interesting method—Duckworth-Lewis method is being applied these days in rain-affected matches wherein the winner of a match is adjudged on the basis of comparative scores—the minimum number of overs to be bowled is 20 overs for each team in a rain-affected ODI cricket match. This clearly illustrates how competitive the game has become over the years with more and more technical gadgetry occupying a place in the cricketing parlance, the Third Umpire’s decision, the snick meter and so on.

The Third Umpire’s decision has brought about a big change in the mode of umpiring. These decisions include the run-outs, stumping and low-level catches. Even the boundaries just edging the boundary rope call for the attention of the Third Umpire who views the situation from various angles (TV replays) and gives the decisions directly on the display board and informs the Field Umpires.

The glow of red light indicates the exit of the batsman and the green light disqualifies the appeal and allows the batsman to continue at the crease. The snick meter is utilized as well which ascertains whether the ball edged the bat before landing into the wicket keeper’s gloves. It gives a television view of the trajectory of the ball and is of immense importance in caught-behind dismissals. All these have indeed made the game of cricket more professional, more competitive and not the least, more entertaining.

The hype and hobnobbing behind the game has lot to do in gaining popularity of cricket amongst the masses. A day before the scheduled matches there is a heyday of activities—pitch rollers on the ground, selling of tickets at the counter (at times black marketing is seen as well), lensmen positioning their cameras and not to mention the rival teams at the nets. Al these have resulted in cricket mania in our fast-paced society. We all have shifted our attention from Test matches to ODI games as these provide cent per cent entertainment in a single day. In the good old days, the spectators and viewers had to wait for five long days to cherish the outcome of a battering and slothing Test match—but days have changed. The ODI versions and Twenty-20 of the game have ended the anomalies of the cricket of the bygone era. thus paving way to fiercer and competitive cricket. The game of cricket which once used to be the domain of rich and elite class is being played now by one and all in the Society. The inroads and gullies of cities and towns are witness of cricketing spurts on Sundays and holidays. Children. youth and the men-in-blue all don the cricketing gear and play to the heart’s content, for the sake of the game. It is cricket and cricket—the buzzword those days—which has catapulted the status of the game into a mega-event. The game of cricket—its spirit, its enchanting cliche all reside with the game. Though the game has metamorphosed down the years its popularity is increasing day by day and growing by leaps and bounds which bears testimony to the far-reaching status of the game of cricket.

Cricket stars are demi-gods and worshipped by the fans—this proves the frantic nature and passion of cricket lovers. They are hailed as supermen and superheroes and they don the stadia—their posters are waved in the air by their devoted fans. The pulse of the nation, the cricket fever, the overbearing banners, pamphlets, posters all reinstate the faith of the common man in their favourite cricket stars. The fans and the common man all don the attire designed with the tri-colour of our national flag on the day of the ODI duel between the two nations—India and Pakistan. This hype and glitterati goes overboard if the match is played in home ground. Cricket cannot be subdued amongst revelling fans as it forms the soul and spirit of mires of Indians—their game, their life and their attainment. Cricket mania is to be felt—as the pulse of the nation—which keeps the nation going. It not only raises the popularity of the-game but cricket personification in true letter and spirit is felt amongst the masses who have raised the status and level of the game to its invincible heights.

The game of cricket—down the ages—has traversed and meandered its long charted path claiming accolades and triumphs serrated with injuries and bruises thus evolving into a big bold and brave game. Undoubtedly, the game would survive all odds and evolve with time, thus spanning an era of competitive sport imbued inherently with the true spirit of the game—wherein the best deserves to win. Cricket mania would head towards a better society with a better sport capable of entertaining the masses and embodying the spirit of the game in true letter and spirit and evolve the game of cricket to a high so that generations to come emulate the spirit of the game and lead it to far-reaching heights.

With the consistent improved performance of India particularly under the captaincy of young icon M.S. Dhoni, the whole nation has accepted the power of Indian youth to take the country to dizzy heights. And along with this the cricket mania is also on the rise.