When talking about cricket, you always have to think about the places where they are extremely
popular. India is the country that will always stand out in cricket. They are the most prolific
cricket nation in the world because they treat it as their top sport.
While cricket was created in the east England region, the sport became even more popular in
India. With the English people more connected with football, India took charge as the number
one country in cricket. Despite India not being the richest of countries, they fully embraced
cricket by investing in a culture that boosted the sport’s popularity. Field hockey is their national
sport but Indian cricket has a massive fanbase.
Compared to other countries that are still developing like Nigeria, India has an extremely strong
scene. Alongside Sri Lanka, India is the model that others follow when it comes to growing the
sport in their country.
The sport has grown to the point where there are Sportsbet.io SRL matches for cricket leagues.
Of course, India is the biggest country for cricket but you also have to consider places like
Australia, Sri Lanka, England, and many more.
How countries like Nigeria can grow in cricket
A large part of growth and development are the investments from the governing bodies. When
the athletes are being supported with training facilities and the proper healthcare, you can
expect them to focus on training for their sport. This is true for almost every sport but support
has been picking up for Nigerian cricket over the years.
Back in 2020, Nigeria was a debuting team in the Under-19 Cricket World Cup. They surprised
so many viewers because they saw the West African squad perform on the same level as the
top teams in the event.
Team captain Sylvester Okpe found it hard to believe that Nigeria qualified for the event because they were in Africa’s second division back in 2015 and was only promoted back in 2018. As a recently promoted team, the World Cup was beyond what any team imagined.
Okpe said, ‘I can say we are like the Leicester City of cricket… we shocked the world… If we
could get more individuals and families and friends all over to support us during the course of
the World Cup, we could do much better as a team’.
The future is bright for other countries
Countries like India and Sri Lanka should be the inspiration they need to compete in cricket
events. The sport can be popular in any country as long as it’s pushed as a premium sport. This
can be strengthened by media coverage and even support for the betting scene with proper
attention given to Sportsbet.io SRL matches.
While Nigeria is not considered a strong cricket country at the moment, there is potential for
growth there. This is true for any country in the world that is trying its hand at playing cricket.
The process will be long and arduous but it will pay off when they stay dedicated to the task.