Another New League in USA

I have it doesn't happen. 20 over cricket bears about as much resemblance to proper (5 day) cricket as lap-dancing does to classical ballet. If the game can only expand in into the US on those terms, I'd rather it didn't.

 

Maybe they can team up with Major League Lacrosse and do a double-header.

 

I've only watched a little bit of cricket, and I find it fascinating. I'm wondering why you say that. I don't disagree, because I don't have enough knowledge. Would it be akin to playing only the first quarter of a basketball game?

 

ABC News just did a segment on how cricket is bringing the countries of Pakistan and India together. Was pretty interesting.

 

It can be more taken seriously if was based on at least the ODI standard. They should look at the English National league and Australia's ING Cup.

 

Don't you all get the feeling the Americans will bastardize cricket and make it into Arena Cricket?

 

There is a big difference between 20 over cricket and 50 over one day cricket and the five day cricket. (I don't think there is an over limit in five day.)

In each format, you have eleven batsmen and need to get ten out to end an innings before the overs run out. In five day, you usually end each innings by getting ten out or by the batting side declaring themselves out early, it is a game all about endurance, consistency and caution, early declarations are all about time management, you need to get through three innings minimum to finish the game in five days or it is drawn. In one day, you quite often see teams getting ten batsmen out, it is all about squeezing as many runs from your 50 overs as possible balanced against the danger of being taken out early, or having the best batsmen taken out and relying on the weaker batsmen for runs. In 20 over cricket, it is just about wacking the ball as much as possible, i'm not sure if any teams had ten batsmen out in any of the twenty20 cricket last summer, but I doubt it.

As you can see it isn't like just shortening a game of basketball, as the change alters tactics and play drastically.

Although, one day and five day are really dull to watch, so maybe this is the only way to introduce cricket as a spectator sport to other places. I like cricket, it is great fun to play, I just don't like to watch it. It is like golf in that respect, some people do enjoy watching day after day of that stuff, but a lot of people don't.

 

Which would explain why 20 over cricket might just make it here. We love sports that are filled with wacking, whether it's the ball or the player.

Subtle we're not.

Wack away, gents.

 

Don't worry. Something like this was already tried by the media mogul Kerry Packer (Rupert Murdoch's competitior) under Packer's Circus in Australia in the late 70's. And thankfully, it failed miserably.

 

Actually Packers World Series Cricket was pretty successful, after a slow first season.

It introduced a lot of the things we take for granted now - coloured uniforms, more limited over internationals, fielding restrictions, play under lights, vastly improved TV coverage etc.

Also it resulted in a lot more money for players, and from Packers point of view, he got exclusive TV rights in Australia (which is what he was after in the first place).

I think 20/20 is rubbish, but if yanks end up liking it, good on them.

To pick up on djwalker's question it would be like playing American football with no huddles, no running plays, no time outs and no substitutions. All the tactical and strategic subtlety is taken out of the game, and it just becomes a glorified highlights tape.

 

Don't see it working out here, but it would be fun if it did. It only stands a chance on the high scores in cricket. Us Americans love high score affairs. I can see us totally changing somethings about it, ie-uniforms. All white polo outfits probably won't cut it here. But plenty of chances for commercials if they force a stop in action during innings. I'm all for any sport trying to make it here.

 

a top quality rugby league would be a much easier sell.

i have a feeling that if the ncaa (the u.s. university sports governing body, college sports are hugely popular here in the states) started pushing rugby union it would gain a foothold in this country in a little under 20 years... its such a fast-paced, brutal sport. i believe it would easily gain the attention of many american football fans and players.

 

Fifty over is too many and 20 is too few. Thirty would be perfect in my opinion. It's almost impossible to be all-out in 20 overs no matter how freely you play.

 

Thanks, didn't know that.

 

I've learned more about cricket from this thread than from watching hours and hours (well, some hours anyway) of it on FSW over the past 5 years.

 

That's because you're watching old cricket matches.

I hope they break for tea instead of having a halftime show.

Remember people, real sports break for tea.

Sachin

 

I think its hard to learn a new sport from watching on TV - as the commentators basically assume that everyone watching knows the sport reasonably well. You really need to watch with someone who can explain as the game unfolds - so you learn the tactics, aims etc rather than just the rules.

That's how I got at least a basic understanding of American football - whereas I know absolutely nothing about baseball and ice hockey, even though I've tried to watch them now and again.

 

Already been done. It's called "baseball".

And it will never catch on. Just go to Cuba, Dominican Republic, or Japan. The Yanks tried to import it there, I am sure no one plays such a "bastardized" version of cricket anymore. [note: sarcasm ]

 

Realistically, a domestic cricket league will only work if it is marketed to the sailing/golf/tennis crowd. I project you will only see sponsors like Pincus Funds or something like that.

And there are very few venues which are big enough for cricket in this country; you will have to go to polo clubs in suburbs. In other words, the Washington team would be playing in The Heights, the Los Angeles team in Beverly Hills, and the Miami team would be playing in West Palm Beach.

I guess it could be done, but as for personnel? Lots and lots of imports like U.S. soccer (Stewart, Adu, Agoos, Gaetjens, Dooley).

 

I expect cricket to be a less successsful spectator sport in the US than squash (which is saying something).

 

I would think the market would be mainly Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan & West Indian expats - along with a few Australians, English & South Africans.

 

Exactly.

I've said this before, but I was on a plane ride back from England a few years ago, and they had an interview with the editor of Wisden's on one of the inflight audio channels. He said that the US could very possibly be a Test nation inside of 20 years - on the backs of the West Indian and subcontinental immigrant communities here. I don't think it's out of the question, either.

 

Don't mean to go off cricket too far, but...

I don't know what your definition of "top quality" is, but, I have come across 2 leagues operating in the US. The Rugby Super League: (Rugby Union - 15's)
http://www.premier-rugby.com/template.php

Season starts March, ends June. It starts this coming weekend, in fact. (go Barbos!) Seems like most of these teams have been around for 30 to 40 years. Affiliated with USA Rugby.
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and, The National Rugby League: (Rugby League - 13's)
http://www.amnrl.com/index.html

Season starts in May, ends August. They mention expansion in the news section, but, IIRC, there were 8 teams last season as well.
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I seem to recall a rumor about USA Rugby wanting Doug Logan to set up a national rugby league, but don't know which league, if either, it is. Seems to me the true "national" league would be RSL, but, I'm not pushing one over the other. Both leagues started in the late 90's (RSL - 97, NRL - 96).

As far as cricket goes, I've always found test cricket to be mercilessly boring. 20/20 might lead to whacking at everything, but at least the batsmen know score-wise what is required as the inning draws nigh. I kind of like watching cricketers flying across the wicket to squeeze out that extra run from a hit that they wouldn't look at twice in a test match. Brings a sense of urgency to the game.