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Cricket games have been very popular over the last few years in countries that don’t have an established tradition of the sport, or in which the sport isn’t deeply ingrained in their culture. Cricket is becoming more popular and is going global as a result.
We are moving away from the cricket we once knew and heading to – or perhaps we’ve already started – a brand new version of this sport.
Football is one of the sports that has a league-based betting structure, which departs from its tradition and focuses on international competitions. There’s no surprise that cricket betting sites are almost as popular in Germany among bettors as football betting sites, or any other sport.
Cricket is now watched with the same passion and enthusiasm as other mainstream sports. This is a direct result of the way cricket is now played.
Analysts have expressed concern that cricket will be ‘footballized’, or become more like football. In this case, leagues would dominate the way the sport is played and clubs would have the final word on the decisions and moves of cricketers.
Is cricket becoming more similar to football?
Cricket is adopting a structure similar to football, which is based upon leagues. It has been happening for almost two decades, since the introduction of T20 Leagues. However, it has intensified in recent years with the franchises of these leagues.
The IPL, the most popular T20 League in India, has 10 franchises. This is not the case. The franchised T20 leagues continue to gain ground. They are taking over more and more of the cricket calendars in different countries, and they are also reducing the international cricket season.
T20 Leagues are gaining in popularity because of their format, and also because they can be more easily followed and watched by fans. The matches are shorter, more intense, and quicker than traditional matches.
They offer a condensed version of the experience to casual sports fans, but also more opportunities for them to experience it. There can be many of these leagues during the season, since they are short and there are so many. It is also useful for sports bettors who are looking to get more action when betting on cricket.
What does “footballization” mean in practice?
The ‘footballization’ of cricket means, firstly, that more cricket is played all year long and more people can watch it. The more cricket played and the more people who watch it, the more revenue the leagues will earn.
The clubs of the leagues will have more money available to pay for contracts and therefore more revenue for cricketers. This ultimately changes everything because the players are more consumed by the leagues, and therefore “less” available to play international cricket.
When cricket is ‘footballized,’ it simply means that players’ priorities are shifted to leagues, and international cricket matches fall second.
The leagues are becoming stronger, and have more control over their players. The clubs and leagues have more power when the cricket calendar has league matches between international tournaments. The clubs can release players to be available for national teams but can also prevent their participation. All cricket becomes a game of leagues, and the essence that is embedded in bilateral series and international competitions is slowly lost.
