Chapter-4

History and sport: The story of cricket

1. What changes were brought in the game of cricket by the MCC’s revision of the laws during the second half of the 18th century?

 Ans. The changes which were brought in the game of cricket by the MCC’s revision of the laws during the second half of the 18th century are as follows: 1) It became common to pitch the ball through the air, rather than roll it along the ground. 2) It also opened new possibilities for spin and swing. In response, batsmen had to master timing and shot selection. 3) The curved bat was replaced with the straight one. All this raised the premium on skill and reduced the influence of rough ground and brute force.

 2. What changes were introduced in the game of cricket during the 19th century?

 Ans. There were many changes introduced in the game of cricket during the 19th century: (a) The rule about wide balls was applied. (b) The exact circumference of the ball was specified. (c) Protective equipments like pads and gloves became available. (d) Boundaries were introduced where previously all shots had to be run. (e) Over-arm bowling became legal.

3. “Although cricket changed with changing times, it fundamentally remained true to its origins in rural England”.

Ans. Cricket’s most important tools are all made of natural, pre-industrial materials, i.e. the bat is made of wood as the stump and the bails. The ball is made of leather twines and cork. Even today, both bat and ball are hand made not industrially manufactured. The material of the bat have slightly changed. Earlier it was cut out of a single piece of wood but now it consists of two pieces i.e. blade which is made out of the willow tree and the handle which is made out of cane. Cricket has refused to remake its tools with industrial or man-made materials like plastics, fibre, glass etc.

1. “As hockey and football became international games, yet cricket remained a colonial game”. Why?

 Ans. Unlike hockey and football which became international games, played all over the world, cricket remained a colonial game. Cricket was limited to the countries which became a part of the British empire. The pre-industrial oddness made it a hard game to export. It took root only in the countries which were conquered by the British. In these colonies, cricket was established as a popular sport either by white settlers or by local elites who wanted to copy the habits of their colonial masters.

2. “C.K. Nayudu was an outstanding Indian Batsman of his time”. Explain.

Ans. C.K. Nayudu was an outstanding batsman of his time. He lives on the popular imagination of the people when some of his great contemporaries like Palwankar Baloo have been cricketer who played in India’s First Test match against England in 1932. His place in India’s cricket who played India’s cricket history is assured because he was the country’s First Test Captain.

3. What was Pentangular tournament? Why did Gandhiji condemn it? When did it come to an end? Ans. Pentangular tournament was played by five teams – the Europeans, the Parsis, the Hindus the Muslims and the Rest, which comprised all the leftover communities, such as the Indian Christians. Gandhiji strongly condemned the Pentangular as a communally divisive competition that was out of place in a time when nationalists were trying to unite India’s diverse population. As it was a colonial tournament, it tied with the Raj.

4. How have advances in technology, especially television technology, affected the development of contemporary game of cricket?

Ans:(a) Kerry Packer’s innovative ideas helped use television technology to develop the image of cricket as a television sport, a marketable game which could generate huge revenue. The opportunity was seized by the satellite technology and multinational television companies to create a global market for the sport. (b) Television expanded the audience and broadened the social base of the game by beaming cricket into small towns and villages. (c) Satellite television technologies helped in gaining wide support and acceptance of these innovations in the game. (d) One-day International matches got popularity and wide acceptance due to television technology. Hence, television along with satellite technology has helped in transform the cricket from a game played and viewed by limited countries and people to a popular world sport.

1. What are the peculiarities of cricket? Mention in brief.
Ans. The peculiarities of cricket as follow: (a) A match can go on for 5 days and still end in a draw. (b) Another peculiarity of cricket is that the length of the pitch is a specified i.e. 22 yards but the size or shape of the ground is not. Most other team sports, such as hockey and football lay down the dimensions of the playing area but cricket does not.

 2. How did Gandhiji view cricket? Or Mention Gandhiji’s ideas on colonial sports.

Ans. Gandhiji believed that sport was essential to make a body healthy. It was essential for creating a balance between the body and the mind. But he did not believe that only sports like cricket, hockey or football could make the body and mind sound. He often emphasized that games like cricket and hockey were imported into India by the British and were replacing the traditional games. He believed that these games represented a colonial mindset and tended to divide people into privileged and non-privileged groups. He stressed that simple exercise while working in the fields was more helpful to keep the body healthy than playing cricket. He wanted to encourage the traditional Indian games. He urged the people of India to revive indigenous games because they were inexpensive and as interesting and exciting as cricket or football. Thus, Gandhiji never approved the colonial games. He always favoured noble indigenous games.

1. What positive changes came to be seen in the history of Indian cricket during one hundred and fifty years? How did it become possible.

Ans. The global market place has made Indian players the best paid, most famous, men for whom the world is a stage. The history that brought about this transition was made up of many smaller changes: (a) The replacement of the gentlemanly amateur by the paid professional. (b) The triumph of the one-day game as it overshadowed Test Cricket in terms of popularity. (c) The remarkable changes in global commerce and technology. One hundred and fifty years ago the scenario was totally different. The Parsis, the first Indian cricketers, had to struggle to find an open space to play in.

2. What were the two great advances in bowling pioneered by Pakistan? Write about them.

Ans. Pakistan has pioneered two great advances in bowling – the doosra and the ‘reverse swing’. Both skills were developed in response to subcontimental conditions- the doosra to counter aggressive basmen with heavy modern bats who were threatening to make finger-spin obsolete and ‘reverse swing’ to move the ball in on dusty, unresponsive cricket under clear skies. Initially, both innovations were greeted with great suspicion by countries like Britain and Australia which saw them as underhanded, illegal bending of the laws of cricket. Afterwards, it came to be accepted that the laws of cricket could not continue to be framed for British or Australian conditions of play, and they became part of the technique of all bowlers everywhere in the world.

3. Explain why cricket became popular in India and the West Indies. Can you give reasons why it did not become popular in countries of South America?

Ans. Cricket became popular in India and the West Indies because of the following reasons: (a) Both India and West Indies were a part of British colonial empire. (b) The game was made popular by the white settlers and the local elites. (c) In both these countries cricket was looked upon as a sign of superior social and racial status. (d) In both these countries cricket was a successful sport and became a measure of racial equality and political progress. Cricket did not become a popular sport in the countries of South America because: 1) South American countries were under the influence of American, Spanish and the Portuguese. 2) Unlike other games, cricket remained a British colonial game. 3) The pre-industrial oddness of cricket made it hard game to export. Therefore, it took root only in countries that the British conquered and dominated.

1. Which was the first Indian community to start playing the game of cricket? How did it contribute to this game?

Ans. The first Indian community to start playing the game of cricket was the group of Zoroastrians, the Parsis. The Parsis founded the First Indian cricket club, the Oriental Cricket Club in Bombay in 1848. Parsi clubs were funded and sponsored by Parsi businessmen like the Tatas and Wadras. The Paris built their own gymkhana in Bombay to play cricket in. The Parsis became the First Indian cricket team to tour England in 1886.

2. Why did Mahatma Gandhi condemn the Pentagular tournament?

The Pentanglar tournament was played by five teams – the Europeans, the Parsis, the Hindus, the Muslims and the Rest, which comprised all the communities left over, such and the Indian Christians. Gandhiji condemned the Pentangular tournament because it was based on racial and communal foundations. This tournament was communally division competition that was out of place in a time when nationalist were trying to unite India’s diverse population.

3. What important changes occurred in the game of cricket during the 19th century?

 The important changes that occurred in the game of cricket during the 19th century are: (a) The rule about wide balls was applied. (b) The exact circumference of the ball was specified. (c) Boundaries were introduced where previously all shots had to be run. (d) Over-arm bowling became legal.

1. Test cricket is unique game in many ways. Discuss some of the ways in which it is different from other team games. How are the peculiarities of Test cricket shaped by its historical beginnings as a village game?
Ans:Test cricket is a unique game in many ways. It was the first modern team game to give itself rules and regulations. Unlike other team games, it can go on for five days and still end in a draw. No other modern team sport takes even half as much time to complete. While most team games (such as hockey and football) specify the dimensions of the playing area, the laws of cricket do not state the specific dimensions of the playing field.
The peculiarities of Test cricket are :
→ A match can go on for five days and still end in a draw. No other modern day team sport takes even half as much time to complete. Baseball completes nine innings in less than half the time that it takes to play a limited overs match.
→ The length of the pitch is specified (22 yards) but the size or shape of the ground is not. No dimensions of the playing area are mentioned for cricket.

2. Describe one way in which in the nineteenth century, technology brought about a change in equipment and give one example where no change in equipment took place.
Ans:With the changing times technology brought about a change in Cricket equipment but it remained true to its origins:
→ Introduction of pads and protective gloves. These protective equipments came forth as a result of the invention of vulcanised rubber.
→ Cricketing most important tools are made from natural and pre-industrial materials. The bats, even today, are made of wood. Also, they are not factory manufactured, but made by hand.

3. Explain why cricket became popular in India and the West Indies. Can you give reasons why it did not become popular in countries in South America?
Ans:Cricket became popular in India and the West Indies because of its colonial background. British imperial officials used it as a symbol of racial and social superiority. They did not popularise the game for the masses. For the colonised, playing cricket implied being the racial equals of the British. Success at cricket came to imply a measure of racial equality and political progress. On the other hand, the game was not so popular in countries like those of South America since they were not dominated by imperial England.

4. Give brief explanations for the following:
(i) The Parsis were the first Indian community to set up a cricket club in India.
(ii) Mahatma Gandhi condemned the Pentangular tournament.
(iii) The name of the ICC was changed from the Imperial Cricket Conference to theInternational Cricket Conference.
(iv) The shift of the ICC headquarters from London to Dubai.
Ans: (i) The Parsis were a small trading community in close contact with the British, and hence, they were the first ones to westernise. During this process of westernisation, they founded the first Indian cricket club, in Bombay, in 1848, called the Oriental Cricket Club.
Ans: (ii) Mahatma Gandhi condemned the Pentangular tournament as he felt that it was a divisive competition that went against the need of the hour. At a time when the nationalists were trying to unite India’s diverse population, the Pentangular tournament divided them on communal lines and the colonial government encouraged these divisions.
Ans: (iii) The name was changed because of decolonisation. This was a process by which the British influence in many areas, one of them sports, declined. Cricket was no longer the monopoly of the imperial powers. Cricket was becoming international. In time, it came to be accepted that the laws of cricket could not continue to be framed for British or Australian conditions of play and they became part of the technique of all bowlers, everywhere in the world.
Ans: (iv) The shift of the ICC headquarters from London to Dubai happened on account of India's location in South Asia. Since India has the largest viewership and market for cricket, the balance of power in cricket has shifted from the colonial domain to the decolonised domain. The shifting of headquarters symbolised and formally marked the end of English or imperialist domination over the game.

5. How have advances in technology, especially television technology, affected the development of contemporary cricket?
Ans:Advances in technology, especially television technology, have affected the development of contemporary cricket by making it marketable game:→ Cricket boards sold television rights to television companies and reaped profits.
→ Television channels sold television spots to companies. They aired their commercials and advertised their commodities to a large number of audience. They made huge profits.
→ Continuous television coverage made cricketers celebrities.They became rich. They were paid by cricket boards and also by companies whose commercials they endorsed.
→ Cricket audience expanded. Cricket was taken to the smaller towns. People could watch and learn by imitating their heroes.
→ Coloured uniforms, protective equipments, field regulations, and day-night, limited-overs matches have all helped this pre-industrial, rural game to adapt to the changing modern world.
→ Balance of power shifted to South Asia as most viewership was from here. ICC headquarters shifted from London to tax-free Dubai.