যা ইউরোপীয় দেশগুলি ক্রিকেট খেলেন
Cricket, though predominantly popular in countries that were formerly British colonies is permeated to a fantastic degree around the world and has found its place even on the European continent. Countries such as England, Ireland, Scotland, Netherlands, Guernsey, Jersey, and Denmark have shown notable participation in this sport. Some of these nations provide professional platforms for cricket matches thereby continuing to augment its explosive popularity.
England
As everybody knows, England is fervently passionate about cricket since it’s virtually recognized as being their national game.
The country’s history intertwined with cricket can be traced way back to the late 16th century when it was first played by children living in the Weald—an area in South-East England.
Apart from contributing significantly to establishing thoroughly standardized ‘Laws’ of cricket which defines gameplay structure globally, England in 1880 hosted an inaugural Test match against Australia marking the origin of international cricket. The prestigious Ashes series between England and Australia further underlines their deep-rooted association with the sport.
The Role of English County Cricket
The County Championship – the domestic-first-class-cricket competition in England and Wales introduced numerous players to the International stage. Its impact on global cricket cannot be undermined as great players like Sir Ian Botham, Kevin Pietersen et al hailed from here before making a mark internationally.
Ireland and Scotland
While not traditionally known for cricketing fame, both Ireland and Scotland made impressive strides towards gaining recognition over recent years.
For instance, Ireland received its Test-status recently in 2018 but has already proven competent by beating strong teams including West Indies and England. They’ve successfully proved that passion coupled with hard work indeed does wonders regardless of tradition.
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Similarly, Scotland while working toward acheiving test status demonstrated commendable performance at various qualifiers also beat established teams like England and Zimbabwe.
Other European countries
Beyond the British Isles, cricket also found popularity in the Netherlands, Denmark, Guernsey and Jersey.
The Dutch showed keen interest in this sport with their cricket board being established as early as 1883. They’ve bagged impressive victories against good teams throughout these years signalling a striking growth of cricket in this part of Europe.
Denmark has been playing cricket since mid-19th Century introducing it at school level which indicates potential rise at higher levels soon.
In tiny channel islands – Guernsey and Jersey, cricket is reasonably prominent considering participation at ICC’s global events such as World Cricket League (WCL) etc.
The Future Growth
Underlying all the current performances and involvement, what stands out lucidly is that while having varying degree of historical bond with the sport, several European Countries apart from just England are now grasping the spirit of cricket.
Governing Bodies must ensure to harness this latent opportunity to make cricket a genuinely universal sport going beyond traditional boundaries. If trends continue along the same path, we will witness an even more dynamic map of worldwide cricket shortly than ever before.
