Did you know that cricket started with only two stumps in the original rules? Then, in 1775, Lumpy Stevens bowled three deliveries, which changed cricket rules for the following years.
Whether there are three stumps or two, it’s tedious to watch or play a game of cricket. But why is cricket so boring? If you’d like to uncover the list of reasons, stick around!
Why Is Cricket So Boring?
1. Cricket Matches Can Take Forever
Test cricket matches can typically last for 5 days. Have you got a week to spare? For each day, both competing teams must play 90 overs as a minimum number.
Surprisingly, they used to last longer in the past. In 1939, England and South Africa played the longest test match of all time. It lasted for 9 days, during which players bowled 680 overs.
To speed things up, the game came up with the ‘T20 Game’ variation. However, watching a cricket match for more than 3 hours is still time-consuming.
2. Lack Of Action Among Players
If you compare cricket to soccer, you’ll conclude that it’s a lazy game. Unlike soccer, two players participate actively in the game while the other 9 players would just be out there chilling.
Besides, fielders take frequent breaks—30 to 50 seconds—to get ready for their next delivery. Further, it’s legal to stop the match to have lunch and tea.
Can you handle this as a viewer? Probably not.
Interestingly, if a batsman is injured, he can get a runner to run between the wickets instead of himself. Can you think of any other game that allows substitutes in this manner? I don’t think so!
3. A Game Of Chance
Regardless of a cricketer’s skills, luck plays a major role in cricket matches. For example, New Zealand’s defeat in the Cricket World Cup 2019 was considered bad luck.
According to many cricket fans, New Zealand played very well throughout the game against England. Unfortunately, Ben Stokes deflected the ball as luck wasn’t on his side.
At that time, there was a heated debate because many believed that coincidence had turned the tables. I can’t imagine the frustration!
Like a good movie with a far-fetched ending, the fortune theory makes it a dull game. Maybe several cricketers are superstitious because they know it relies on chance rather than skill to win.
4. Four Types Of Cricket
The original test and first-class cricket bored people to death, which forced organizers to invent two more formats to generate interest.
For instance, ‘One Day Format’ was developed to get more attacking batting and runs. If this isn’t a candid confession that it’s a monotonous game, I don’t know what it is.
I’m afraid they’d improvise the fifth type if you keep yawning on the cricket pitch!
5. Take A Rain Check
Weather conditions can impact a cricket game and turn it into a dreary one. This is because hitting the ball on a humid or dry day affects how it moves or bounces.
In other words, playing in cold climate countries, like England, helps bowlers get quick ball movement on damp grass.
Conversely, playing in a drier climate, such as in India, slows the ball movement and makes it more inconsistent.
That’s why, unlike soccer, it’s common to cancel cricket matches because of rain, which makes batting dangerous. So, going to an outdoor cricket game, you should expect it to come to a halt.
6. No Guaranteed Results
Speaking of the weather, it can also affect the results of the cricket match. So, no matter how hard you try, bad weather can turn things in your competitors’ favor.
Even worse, when a game is interrupted by wet weather, organizers use a complex mathematical formula to recalculate the score based on a new target.
It’s also possible to get a ‘no-result’ in a one-day match if the players didn’t bowl the number of overs they had agreed on, in addition to bad weather. What boredom this must be!
7. What The Brits Think
Since cricket is the national summer sport in England, I believe we should take a closer look at how they like cricket.
In 2018, a survey was done about the top boring sports in Britain, and cricket ranked #3. Shockingly, 22% of those who watched the game thought it was exciting.
On the other hand, 58% found it boring, and 17% thought it was neither boring nor exciting. Additionally, 3% weren’t sure how it felt watching cricket.
8. It’s Complicated
No, this isn’t my relationship status; cricket rules are complicated! Despite claims that it’s a simple game, you can numerously read about its system of laws and still feel baffled.
Besides, the cricket rules developed over the years, which makes some resort to learning only the essentials. In addition to the playing rules, runs alone can be scored in multiple ways.
So, if you don’t have enough patience to learn how cricket works, you’ll find it a mind-numbing experience. I’ve been there!
9. Fitness Levels Of Cricket Players
Have you seen Messi’s agility and Ronaldo’s diligence and physical fitness? These aspects are hard to find in cricket, making it a colorless sport.
Essentially, there are a lot of overweight cricket players, both amateurs and professionals. Consequently, this lowers our expectations while watching the game.
Watching Christiano Ronaldo’s high jumps with air time comparable to that of Michael Jordan adds to the game’s excitement and enjoyment.
10. Too Much Equipment
If you consider playing cricket, you’ll have a long list to shop for.
So, your essential kit would include a bat, batting pads, helmet, abdomen guard, and batting gloves. These items are necessary to keep you safe from severe injuries.
In addition, you need a pair of spikes as your sneakers won’t provide you with the balance and performance you need.
Above all, you’ll have to buy white clothing, which is not the most energizing color you can think of.
Colored clothing has been recently introduced to the game. However, in longer cricket games, especially if you’re an amateur cricketer, you must stick to the drab white uniform.
11. Empty Cricket Stadiums
In case you’ve never seen an international tennis game or soccer match played without fans, you can see this in cricket. Empty cricket stadiums make the game less inviting to viewers.
Even the game fans are becoming more interested in T20 cricket games than the lengthy test matches, which require immense patience to follow.
Notably, many cricket game-goers aren’t passionate about the game itself. Instead, they go to the cricket stadiums to get together and pass the time in the open air.
To learn more, you can also read our posts on why cricket is not in the Olympics, why New York has two baseball teams, and why LA has two NBA teams.
Conclusion
Cricket is so boring because it requires stamina and endurance to understand, play, or even watch the game. You also need plenty of time, fine weather, and humble expectations.
Given these reasons, watching a cricket game is like watching paint dry. So, if you’d like to play a slow-paced game, cricket is the answer!
T20 cricket is better. Bro, do you not know that cricket is the national sport of India?
Golf is like watching paint dry in my opinion.
You can’t say those stuff man.