Baseball or cricket, which is better? This age-old debate has again gained spark, thanks to the cricket World Cup held in the States. We have witnessed how many are again debating between which is the better sport, on many social media platforms. While this debate is not easy to end, we can analyse it with some stats and facts.
If we look at it in general view, Baseball and cricket are two of the world's most popular sports, each with a rich history and passionate fan base. While we cannot deny the fact that they share some similarities, such as being bat-and-ball games, they have distinct rules, cultures, and playing techniques. With this in mind, we aim to compare the two sports using facts and statistics. Let’s read more!
We know for a fact that Baseball is primarily played in the United States, Japan, and Latin American countries. If we talk about the setting, Baseball games are nine innings long, and each inning is divided into two halves, with one team batting and the other fielding.
If we talk about, cricket, it is most popular in countries like India, Australia, England, and South Africa. It has a different structure - Test matches can last up to five days, ODIs are played in a single day with 50 overs per side, and T20s are the shortest format, with 20 overs per side.
Now, if we talk about popularity, the craze of cricket is unmatachable. Not only it is invented by England, it is popular in many other parts of the world. In India, it is no less than any religion and the country alone has many huge cricket fans. In the fan-following and star culture, cricket is far ahead than baseball which enjoys a huge popularity in some countries but it fails to be a global sport. Also, the money involved in cricketing leagues and tournaments all over the world is a lot more than baseball.
To judge any sport, it is important to understand the impact it has made. Hence. cultural significance is another point of comparison. Baseball is often called America's pastime and is deeply ingrained in American culture, with historic stadiums, legendary players, and a place in American history. You must have seen even in their shows like FRIENDS that people there are a big fan of the sport.
But when it comes to cricket, Cricket, it becomes almost a religion, with millions of fans following the sport passionately. It has influenced the lives of many Indians and with great players like Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, the impact of cricket has only increased. You might find it hard to believe but the truth is, the time in India stops whenever an important cricket match happens. Even the barber shops and doctor’s office becomes a sports hub.
It is not easy to talk about a game and leave behind athleticism. Different sports need different kind of stamina, power and temperament to be played. When it comes to these two, cricket is tougher and more competitive than baseball. It is because of the fact that a cricket game lasts for more hours and even days than baseball. You run between wickets, you dive for catches, you smash sixes, all of it make it a better sport.
It is not easy to settle the debate as the fan’s love for these sports are great but when it comes to judging which is more famous and competitive, cricket surely has the edge.
