# Will cricket catch on in the USA? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** cricket\ **Created:** [July 14, 2023, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-cricket-catch-on-in-the-usa/987016 "2023-07-14T09:33:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-cricket-catch-on-in-the-usa/987016/41 "2023-07-15T03:59:58Z")
Basketball? And baseball, for that matter. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-cricket-catch-on-in-the-usa/987016/42 "2023-07-15T04:01:32Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I deeply apologize for offending you. …no offence taken. I still don’t get what amuses you, though. Commonwealth countries have a _lot_ of things in common. Not just cricket. > [@EllisDee](#): > > Basketball? And baseball, for that matter. In the way that soccer has? ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-cricket-catch-on-in-the-usa/987016/43 "2023-07-15T04:14:49Z")
I think many of the points explaining why cricket will never compete at the level of the “big” sports in the US are right on. But I would add one more, perhaps controversial… baseball is just better than cricket. The added bases give more possible plays for the defense, and more variety to the action. The play is more balanced between hitting and fielding. More innings, with only 3 outs per inning, gives it a much brisker pace (especially now with the pitch clock and other speed improvements in MLB). I know it’s a very parochial opinion, but baseball has expanded into far more “non-native” markets than cricket has (all of the non-British Caribbean and much of South and Central American, not to mention Korea and Japan), and I believe one reason is because it’s just a better sport. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-cricket-catch-on-in-the-usa/987016/44 "2023-07-15T04:19:40Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > In the way that soccer has? No. But definitely in a way that cricket has not. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-cricket-catch-on-in-the-usa/987016/45 "2023-07-15T04:33:53Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > No. …I mean, that’s my point. Soccer is the outlier here by a significant margin. Cricket, baseball, basketball, they all get played all over the world. But each sports dominates in different countries and groups of countries for various historical reasons. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-cricket-catch-on-in-the-usa/987016/46 "2023-07-15T04:40:09Z")
Cricket only gets played in former British colonies. Basketball and baseball are not limited in a similar way. For example, what is the historical reason that basketball is popular in China? I would say there is none. No shared cultural heritage to explain it. Just a pure export, like soccer is for much of the world. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-cricket-catch-on-in-the-usa/987016/47 "2023-07-15T04:47:45Z")
I would argue even Hockey has shown more “spreadability” than cricket has. It’s played in Canada and the US, of course, but also Russia and much of Northern and Eastern Europe. Basically if it’s cold enough to have ice, they play hockey there. For a sport invented in Canada (not really a colonizing powerhouse) that’s pretty impressive. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-cricket-catch-on-in-the-usa/987016/48 "2023-07-15T05:31:27Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Cricket only gets played in former British colonies. …I mean, this isn’t correct. Cricket gets played all over the world, including in the US, as shown here in this very thread. That only commonwealth countries qualified for the last world cup doesn’t change that. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-cricket-catch-on-in-the-usa/987016/49 "2023-07-15T05:34:03Z")
Name any country that isn’t a former British colony where cricket is as popular as basketball is in China. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-cricket-catch-on-in-the-usa/987016/50 "2023-07-15T06:47:45Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > The added bases give more possible plays for the defense, and more variety to the action. The _only_ way in which baseball has more variety that cricket is in the number of bases. Both batting and bowling in cricket are more complicated than in baseball. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-cricket-catch-on-in-the-usa/987016/51 "2023-07-15T06:55:23Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Name any country that isn’t a former British colony where cricket is as popular as basketball is in China. Afghanistan That, of course, depends on definition of colony. Similarly you could say Pakistan ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-cricket-catch-on-in-the-usa/987016/52 "2023-07-15T06:57:14Z")
> [@Stanislaus](#): > > A no-better-than-decent pitcher might be a phenomenal leg-spinner Phenomenal leg spinners are exceedingly rare even in populations that seek them out purposefully, very unlikely a journeyman pitcher is going to have those skills. > [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > Likewise, a hitter who’s not _quite_ good enough for the bigs might find success using a bat with three hitting surfaces Three hitting surfaces? ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-cricket-catch-on-in-the-usa/987016/53 "2023-07-15T07:08:57Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Name any country that isn’t a former British colony where cricket is as popular as basketball is in China. …I don’t _need_ too. Because this has nothing to do with my point. Basketball is big in China. And the former USSR. And the USA. What do those three super-powers have in common? ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-cricket-catch-on-in-the-usa/987016/54 "2023-07-15T07:19:32Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Gully Silly Point is worse. It’s not readily apparent due to the need to fit names into but gully and silly point are two separate positions. Gulley is a catching position, extending the slips, behind the batter and usually some distance away. Also is deployed commonly. Silly point is square with the batter, much closer, and deployed quite rarely. Of the “silly”s (named because you are standing within a few feet of the batter) short leg and lesser mid on are more common, simply because that’s far more likely that a catchable ball will travel. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-cricket-catch-on-in-the-usa/987016/55 "2023-07-15T07:35:02Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I think American minds are already filled with about as many sports as they can entertain in their capacity > [@BobLibDem](#): > > If pickleball and corn hole can get televised and draw crowds I think the second examples, which might well be described as “only in America” neatly refute the notion that the capacity of American minds to absorb sport is in any way limited. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stafford_cripps/32/7167_2.png) [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stafford_Cripps)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-cricket-catch-on-in-the-usa/987016/56 "2023-07-15T08:04:21Z")
The Netherlands have qualified for this year’s World Cup. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stafford_cripps/32/7167_2.png) [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stafford_Cripps)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-cricket-catch-on-in-the-usa/987016/57 "2023-07-15T08:13:28Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > The added bases give more possible plays for the defense, and more variety to the action. Are you aware of the massive difference between spin bowling and seam bowling? Are you aware that the play changes end every 6 balls? Unlike baseball, there are always 2 batters in. Towards the end of the innings you might have a world class batter at one end partnering someone who is actually an expert bowler but wouldn’t even be in the top 10 batters in a minor county. The fielding team will be doing everything they can to keep bowling at the latter. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stafford_cripps/32/7167_2.png) [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stafford_Cripps)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-cricket-catch-on-in-the-usa/987016/58 "2023-07-15T08:16:02Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#): > > That, of course, depends on definition of colony. > Similarly you could say Pakistan No, you couldn’t. There is no sense in which anyone could claim Pakistan is not a former British colony. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-cricket-catch-on-in-the-usa/987016/59 "2023-07-15T08:35:24Z")
There already is a massive wave of South Asian immigrants. At least around here — suburbs of San Francisco. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-cricket-catch-on-in-the-usa/987016/60 "2023-07-15T10:34:15Z")
Same in parts of NJ, and there are cricket grounds in parks in those areas. But, pockets here and there are not enough to make it catch on here. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-cricket-catch-on-in-the-usa/987016.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-cricket-catch-on-in-the-usa/987016.md?page=4)