A Very Civil Society

Another October, another World Series, and once again baseball forgot to invite anyone except the Americans. Cricket tries to be a little more inclusive. And it helps to have CricInfo (www.cricket.org).

British colonialism and massive population movements over the last few decades have taken cricket just about everywhere, from Barbados and New Delhi to Copenhagen and Kampala. CricInfo fulfills several needs for its users from 180 countries. It provides cricket fans with extensive coverage of key games, including live text commentary (and occasionally even live visual coverage when site managers can circumvent the problem of broadcast rights). It allows fans to follow developments in the game, such as a recent series of stunning corruption scandals. And it connects scattered cricket enthusiasts to local cricket clubs and leagues, which often form the cultural backbones of immigrant communities. CricInfo has practically monopolized the global network of the second most popular sport in the world (after soccer).

International affairs watchers can easily rationalize spending time on CricInfo. After all, cricket relations between India and Pakistan (currently frigid) indicate the political mood on the subcontinent. The composition of South Africa’s cricket team reflects the social changes and political pressures in that country. The battle between cricket and basketball in the West Indies attests to shifting cultural identities. The emergence of cricket in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia hints at how the South Asian population is reconfiguring the Middle East. CricInfo covers the world. All it lacks is a forum for hate messages against Americans who confuse the game with croquet.