Main article: Forms of cricket

Children playing cricket on a makeshift pitch in a park. It is common in many countries for people to play cricket on such pitches and makeshift grounds.

At all levels, the rules of cricket are often modified. At international or first-class levels this is usually in order to make the game more commercially attractive. More or less formal domestic club cricket matches are usually played over one to two days, either two innings per side or one innings per side with limited overs. At lower levels the rules are often changed simply to make the game playable with limited resources, or to render it more convenient and enjoyable for the participants. Variants of the sport are played in areas as diverse as sandy beaches and ice floes. Families and teenagers play backyard cricket in suburban yards or driveways, and the teeming cities of India and Pakistan play host to countless games of "Gully Cricket" or "tapeball" on their streets(played in long narrow streets) with rules such as one bounce catch such rules and lack of space ensure the batsmen have to play cautiously . Tennis balls and homemade bats are often used, and a variety of objects may serve as wickets such as the batters legs, as in "French cricket", which did not in fact originate in France, and is usually played by small children. Sometimes the rules are also improvised: for instance it is sometimes agreed that fielders can catch the ball with one hand after one bounce and claim a wicket, or if only a few people are available then everyone may field while the players take it in turns to bat and bowl.

In Kwik cricket, the bowler does not have to wait for the batsman to be ready before a delivery, leading to a faster, more exhausting game designed to appeal to children, which is often used in English schools' PE lessons. Another modification to increase the pace of the game is the "Tip and Run", "Tipity" Run, "Tipsy Run" or "Tippy-Go" rule, in which the batter must run when the ball touches the bat, even if it the contact is unintentional or minor. This rule, seen only in impromptu games, speeds the match up by disabling the batsman's ability to block the ball. Indoor cricket is played in a netted, indoor arena.

In Samoa a form of cricket called Kilikiti is played in which hockey stick-shaped bats are used.

In Estonia, teams gather over the winter for the annual Ice Cricket tournament. The game juxtaposes the normal summer pursuit with harsh, wintry conditions. Rules are otherwise similar to those for the six-a-side game.

International structure

Main articles: International structure of cricket and International Cricket Council

ICC member nations. The (highest level) Test playing nations are shown in orange; the associate member nations are shown in green; the affiliate member nations are shown in purple.

Cricket is one of the most widely played sports in the world. More than 120 cricket-playing nations are recognised by the International Cricket Council.^[9] In the countries of South Asia, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka, cricket is the most popular sport.^[10][11][12] Similarly, it is the most popular sport in Samoa, Australia,^[13][14] United Arab Emirates,^[15] Bermuda,^[16] Cayman Islands^[17] and the English-speaking countries of the Caribbean, which are collectively known in cricketing parlance as the West Indies.^[18] Cricket is also the national sport of England^[19] and The Bahamas,^[20] and a major sport in the countries of Europe (including Wales,^[21] Scotland,^[22] Ireland^[23] and Italy^[24]), Africa (containing South Africa,^[25] Zimbabwe,^[26] Kenya,^[27] Namibia,^[28] Uganda^[29] and Zambia^[30]), Asia (including Hong Kong,^[31] Fiji^[32] and Papua New Guinea^[33]), and in New Zealand,^[34] etc.

Cricket is internationally governed by International Cricket Council (ICC), which is headquartered in Dubai and includes representatives from the ten Test-playing nations and an elected panel representing non-Test-playing nations. On December 11, 2007, the International Olympic Committee conferred the status of a recognized sport, on the basis of its youth promotion and anti-doping policies^[35].

Each nation has a national cricket board which regulates cricket matches played in its country. The cricket board also selects the national squad and organises home and away tours for the national team.

Nations playing cricket are separated into three tiers depending on the level of cricket infrastructure in that country. At the highest level are the Test-playing nations; they qualify automatically for the quadrennial World Cup matches. Below these are the Associate Member nations. The lowest level consists of the Affiliate Member nations.

See also

Cricket Portal

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• List of cricket terms
• Forms of cricket
• Cricket World Cup
• Twenty20 World Championship
• International Cricket Council
• Cricket statistics
• Comparison between cricket and baseball

References

• Sir Don Bradman (1990). The Art of cricket. Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 1-875892-54-0. 
• The official laws of cricket. published by the MCC. Retrieved on 14 August 2005.
• England and Wales Cricket Board. published by the ECB. Retrieved on 14 August 2005.
• International Rules and regulations. published by the ICC.

External links

• The Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cricket.

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• Explanation of Cricket
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