Correct the false statements:
A) Colonial rulers promoted Cricket to be played between nations that were under their power.
B) People adopted the game to become westernized.
C) Indian villagers played cricket.
D) Cricket was introduced in schools to bring good manners.
A) This statement is false. It was a game of the gentlemen and a representation of all that they valued.
B) This statement is true.
C) This statement is false. The local elitists played this sport as a way to copy the Britishers.
D) This statement is false. Cricket was introduced in schools as a part of wider physical training by which boys were molded into ideal citizens.
Write a short note on Gandhiji’s views on other sports and cricket.
Gandhiji believed in the importance of sports as a means to create a balance between mind and body, but he said that sports like cricket and hockey are just for the privileged section of the society. He did not like the fact that these games were brought in the country by the Britishers. He further stated that the popularity with the local Indians showed the colonial mindset. He also focused on the local traditional games by the Indians over these colonial games.
Give brief explanations for the following:
a) The Parsis were the first Indian community to set up a cricket club in India.
b) The significance of the shift of the ICC headquarters from London to Dubai.
a) The Parsis were the first Indian community to set up a cricket club in India. They came into close contact with the Britishers because of their interest in trade. They were also the first community to westernize themselves. They founded the first Indian Cricket Club in Bombay in 1848, called the ‘ Oriental Cricket Club ‘. They were funded by the rich Parsi men such as the Tatas. They also built their own gymkhana for practicing cricket and beat the Bombay Gymkhana at this game in 1889. Seeing this, others also started setting up clubs on the basis of religious communities.
b) The significance of the shift of the ICC headquarters from London to Dubai. This was due to the satellite tv technology for the worldwide reach to large MNCs to popularize cricket. India had the largest viewership and the largest market for cricket, so the headquarters were shifted to Southern Asia. It also led to an end of the Anglo Australian domination in this game.
Find out the history of anyone local sport. Ask your parents or grandparents how this game was played in their childhood. See whether it is played in the same way now. Try and think of the historical forces that might account for the changes.
The most popular local sport played in India in the Olden times was Kabaddi. This was played with great enthusiasm among the children of villages and small towns. This interest was also developed among the elders in the later years. Even now Kabaddi is being played with the same level of zeal. Earlier Kabaddi was a local sport which did not have a lot of recognition. However, now it is being played at a national level and many teams of the same also exist.
How have advances in technology, especially television technology, influenced the development of contemporary cricket?
● The world had witnessed the transformation of cricket in the year 1970.
● An Australian television Tycoon Kerry packer had signed up 50 leading cricketers in the world for 2 years of unofficial test series and one-day internationals.
● This was called the World Series cricket.
● The colorful helmets and dresses of different teams became very popular.
● Since it was being covered by the television the audience had expanded to small towns and villages as well.
● Cricket boards earned money by selling television rights to a television company.
● The television channels also earn money by selling sports to companies for a large amount of money to air their commercial.
● The cricketers also became celebrities as they also became a participant in the advertisement for commercials. With the spread of the technology of satellite television, a global market was created for the sport of cricket which made it very popular.