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If China were to emerge as a cricketing super power........

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leonidas_alexandar

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In 1952 Olympics - China competed in just one sport and won no medals at all.

Within just 58 years - by year 2008 - China topped the medals chart and emerged as the most successful Olympic team in 2008 Olympics. China now typically finishes in the top 3 in the Olympics.

It is not inconceivable that if China really focused on cricket that they would not emerge as a strong cricketing power - given their population and financial heft.

Now this is simply a fun, thought experiment - let's replicate the Olympics scenario here - and let's say in the next 50 years China emerges as one of the top cricketing nations in the world. What do you think the ramifications of that would be?

Off the top of my head - I can think of the following:

1) Most teams would want to play China - given the broadcast rights revenue.

2) China will have built some great cricket stadiums.

3) They'll probably have a league that will rival IPL in terms of at least the capital.

4) Pakistan potentially could have a strong ally at the ICC and the Indian hegemony could come to an end.


Any other ideas/thoughts?
 
hashimafzal said:
China tried to get into football with the CSL, now the CSL is going bankrupt.
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That is why I made it clear in my post - it's a fun, thought experiment - if - China were to emerge as a cricketing super power what could be the implications....
 
China come across like they would have the most vanilla, personality-less players.

They'd make Sri Lanka look like the pirates of the Caribbean.
 
People have been beating the football drum for China for god knows how long.

It's not gonna happen.

China getting into cricket is too ridiculous to even consider.
 
If that ever happens you'd wonder if it's the drones playing. You will see textbook bowling actions and batting techniques. Every player will be an all rounder to some degree.
 
I know politics must be kept aside in sports.

But I’m glad China isn’t represented in elite cricket.
 
Just from my observations china dont seem to like having superstars, I don't know if the people are so community minded or because the leaders have too much influence. I just couldn't see the government allow such self indulgent type of entertainment.
 
This is a low-effort thread. You can replace China with pretty much any country and all of your "ramifications" would still fit.

The reality is that it is more likely that teams like the West Indies, New Zealand and South Africa just stop playing international cricket than it is for China and the United States to become test-playing nations. Cricket, especially test cricket, is a dying sport.
 
Bilal7 said:
This is a low-effort thread. You can replace China with pretty much any country and all of your "ramifications" would still fit.

The reality is that it is more likely that teams like the West Indies, New Zealand and South Africa just stop playing international cricket than it is for China and the United States to become test-playing nations. Cricket, especially test cricket, is a dying sport.
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Cricket is a dying sport, full stop. With the lack of vision from ICC, with too many complicated rules, with countries monopolizing the game, I would be surprised if there is any international cricket after say 50-80 years.
 
Half the cricket playing nations are mostly operating at loss, India is more likely to stop playing cricket entirely than China playing test cricket.
 
Can’t even imagine that happening. If by any chance that happens, the Chinese team will be the antithesis of Pakistan. Zero flair and machine like attitude towards the game. I’d rather not watch them play. Boring to watch.
 
If this were to happen, Babar Azam and Shaheen would debut for China. They would take our best players and pay a handsome amount of money which PCB would accept.
 
Cricket will become mostly a club sport rather than an international one. That’s how it should be with an occasional World cup once in 4 years.

China becoming a cricketing superpower to counter Indian BCCI has been a pet dream of some Pakistanis but it won’t happen. China has better thing to do. It’s India that has a better chance to improve in other sports to a counter China.

ICC has done remarkably well to sustain cricket for so long. While it’s not perfect, ICC has been professional and has innovated , sometimes faster than soccer even. Imagine getting off-field referees, referrals, snickometers and variants like 15/30/240 minute world cups in soccer. Even in high profile Soccer world cups, teams lose due to incompetent, biased referring. Cricket is much better.

People who complain about ICC are those who are looking to somehow beg, borrow or steal more moolah from the Big-3, especially India.

FIFA allows individual country leagues to keep most of their funds, except for some development funds. Some ICC members are continuously begging and want more ICC tournaments as they can leach money off others. Does not happen in FIFA.
 
If Nepal and Afghanistan can play Cricket, then why can't China ? They don't have to build a World beater Test team, a below average team in T20s would be sufficient.

If only Cricket gets included in Olympics, we will see China investing in T20s and it won't be a big surprise if they could field a 20-20 side like Afghanistan or Nepal in a few decades.

Everything has to start somewhere.
 
Pakistani fans would have a team to wholeheartedly cheer, when India takes on China having beaten Pakistan for the 460th time in a World Cup :rabada2
 
Very interesting.

One thing is for sure, Chinese love gambling, sorry not love, are obsessed with it.

If China entered the realms of Cricket, match/spot fixing will go through the roof, I mean, into orbit.
 
NoBallZombie said:
Cricket is a dying sport, full stop. With the lack of vision from ICC, with too many complicated rules, with countries monopolizing the game, I would be surprised if there is any international cricket after say 50-80 years.
Click to expand...

Over the last 50 years ICC has introduced 2 new successful formats for the game. During the same time FIFA hasn’t even been able to improve widely disliked rules for yellow cards, offsides etc. They have however been able to successfully place some officeholders in jails.
 
Nepal and Afghanistan now play good cricket because they were under Britain for long and also are highly influenced by India, and to some extent, Pakistan. India and Pakistan have invested in their development, set up training centers, invited their players and national teams to play in domestic tournaments, improve skills and earn living.

None of these will happen with China. China is culturally more impressed with USA, Japan (though China won’t accept openly) and Germany than UK. India won’t, and Pakistan can’t, invite budding Chinese club teams and provide them with a decent lifestyle and wages for years.

Chinese sportsmen have many other venues, tennis, golf, TT, badminton, Gymnastics, Swimming, football, Basketball, martial arts, athletics etc to make money. But subcontinent countries having no sport besides cricket that pays well, though India now is a little better with top TT, Chess, Badminton, golf, Tennis, even football and kabaddi, players earning in crores.

I expect USA, Canada & Singapore to become decent associate teams in the next decade.
 
leonidas_alexandar said:
In 1952 Olympics - China competed in just one sport and won no medals at all.

Within just 58 years - by year 2008 - China topped the medals chart and emerged as the most successful Olympic team in 2008 Olympics. China now typically finishes in the top 3 in the Olympics.

It is not inconceivable that if China really focused on cricket that they would not emerge as a strong cricketing power - given their population and financial heft.

Now this is simply a fun, thought experiment - let's replicate the Olympics scenario here - and let's say in the next 50 years China emerges as one of the top cricketing nations in the world. What do you think the ramifications of that would be?

Off the top of my head - I can think of the following:

1) Most teams would want to play China - given the broadcast rights revenue.

2) China will have built some great cricket stadiums.

3) They'll probably have a league that will rival IPL in terms of at least the capital.

4) Pakistan potentially could have a strong ally at the ICC and the Indian hegemony could come to an end.


Any other ideas/thoughts?
Click to expand...

If China seriously start investing in cricket and take interest, they will become a very big market and England and Australian boards will line with them to play most of the matches.
Look at Australia's economy they are heavily reliant on China(85% of there economy depends on Chinese exports prior to 2020).

Pakistan also will benefit a lot as belt and road initiative will include Cricket ground development,

India's power will still be impacted.. Or may be not. When money flows, everyone wants to get as much of it as possible. Who knows, China and India will tie up and play most of the matches together to entertain there 2 Billion Cricket mad population.. And sideline other board.
The Boards of China and India becoming super duper rich.

Money can change lot of things
 
I doubt it will happen and if it does i doubt they would be a counter to India simply because cricket will never be culturally embedded in Chinese society in the same way that cricket is in India - it may be a sport that grows and some people start taking an interest in but is it really ever going to be front page news in China? I seriously doubt it. Don't think it would have anywhere near the market value - you wouldn't for example have the streets of Shanghai empty for a cricket world cup game in the same way you would in India, Pakistan etc

If they did develop I can imagine them producing some incredible spinners
 
It’s not just money but why will China sideline most other sports to play a colonial game that has nil, or may be max 2, Olympic Gold and no Chinese History. China never invested in games that has just 1-2 golds. It’s good in Swimming, diving, athletics, cycling, shooting, TT etc with dozens of olympic golds each and competition with the countries, it thinks, are its peers like Japan, USA, Korea, Continental Europe etc. Chinese won’t play because Pakistan wants them to counter India.

China may play cricket if BCCI and IPL becomes 10x bigger and can interest Chinese kids the way the large Indian market interest Chinese businessmen.

Hypothetically though, Chinese becoming cricket crazy will be great for India. The future Kohlis and Tendulkars will be superstars in Shanghai though not many will care about boring cookie cutter but competent Chinese players in Mumbai. India-China series will be legendary like Brazil-Germany games. Smaller countries will be even more isolated.
 
Last edited:
Babbar said:
China may play cricket if BCCI and IPL becomes 10x bigger and can interest Chinese kids the way the large Indian market interest Chinese businessmen.

Hypothetically though, Chinese becoming cricket crazy will be great for India. The future Kohlis and Tendulkars will be superstars in Shanghai though not many will care about boring cookie cutter but competent Chinese players in Mumbai. India-China series will be legendary like Brazil-Germany games. Smaller countries will be even more isolated.
Click to expand...

India cannot influence China into playing cricket lol. Only Western countries can do that.
 
Babbar said:
It’s not just money but why will China sideline most other sports to play a colonial game that has nil, or may be max 2, Olympic Gold and no Chinese History. China never invested in games that has just 1-2 golds. It’s good in Swimming, diving, athletics, cycling, shooting, TT etc with dozens of olympic golds each and competition with the countries, it thinks, are its peers like Japan, USA, Korea, Continental Europe etc. Chinese won’t play because Pakistan wants them to counter India.

China may play cricket if BCCI and IPL becomes 10x bigger and can interest Chinese kids the way the large Indian market interest Chinese businessmen.

Hypothetically though, Chinese becoming cricket crazy will be great for India. The future Kohlis and Tendulkars will be superstars in Shanghai though not many will care about boring cookie cutter but competent Chinese players in Mumbai. India-China series will be legendary like Brazil-Germany games. Smaller countries will be even more isolated.
Click to expand...

There have been countries that adopted non Traditional sports.

For example, Japan now participate in Rugby World Cups and have defeated South Africa. It was unimaginable some decades ago that Japan would be doing that.

South Korea took Field Hockey seriously and even won a Olympics medal in it. They were largely assisted by Pakistani coaches and hockey federation.

Even China plays Field Hockey and has a team that competed in the Olympics. Though they are good like South Asian Nations.
 
Who is going to introduce China to cricket anyway?

India won't be too keen, and Australia and England are always too inward looking to care.
 
They sent a few players to PZ if I remember correctly for the PSL experience.

If these guys started playing, I can imagine them being great at it one day.
 
Excelling at olympic sports where organized cheating/doping is RAMPANT is one thing. Being competitive in a team sport with mass appeal is something entirely else. Cricket is *never* happening in China. Beyond token representation at associate level.

This is the same reason why cricket will never die in countries like NZ and SAf either. It's rooted in the sporting/cultural consciousness of those countries. They'll have cycles of success and indifference but they are never going away.
 
China has generally struggled in team sports - football, hockey, basketball, volleyball

China invested billions in football but still struggle to make it to World Cup - unlike Korea / Japan / Iran

So its not always about people , money & infra. Team sports require more than just heavy investment , its the sporting culture legacy , carry over from fathers / uncles that often counts more. Its easier to excel in individual sports like athletics, swimming , gymnastics , table tennis . One reason impoverished African nations produce so many world class players

Just like Russia has lot more people , money & infra in football than say Holland / Uruguay but nowhere close to their football pedigree !
 
Any new team and nation taking up cricket is a very good thing. China will add unique culture and their big potential fanbase to our game.

I just don't think China will ever take cricket seriously though. They play the sports to win medals and/or respect. Cricket will give them neither.
 
Cricket is dying and thankfully so.

Laziest and most inept organizations running it.
 
ICC tried a lot to get China in cricket, but China never seemed upto the mark. They were losing heavily to teams like Iran, Myanmar, Bhutan, etc who were themselves struggling at Asian level. Even South Korea who made a cricket team less than a year before Asian Games 2014, ended up beating China in Asian Games 2014. At women's cricket China were decent at Associate level for 2-4 years but even there they have declined now. Also China have never been a team sports country, they focus more on individual sports

It's better for ICC to focus on Japan for cricket. Japan are hardworking and have also done well in team sports. Japan have a population of 126 million and they love to play with homegrown team too. If ICC invests in Japan, they will get good returns within 10 years. Japan can be the country which ends BCCI dominance
 
I don’t know about anything else but I’m sure there would be some nice stadiums
 
ICC needs this to get rid of the plague that is BCCI on world cricket
 
Only problem I see is they all look same. No one would know who is out and who is batting. What if they send a player to bat again who is already out?
 
It must be a very desperate situation if some are hoping that China will become a cricketing power to balance India. Why not Turkey? Or Pakistan itself?

To be fair to the hopefuls, China is indeed the most probable candidate, out of the three, who can balance BCCI. So good bet!

I will personally bet on cricket emergence in the US for this purpose but the US has stopped giving freebies since the last decade so China it is.
 
Babbar said:
It must be a very desperate situation if some are hoping that China will become a cricketing power to balance India. Why not Turkey? Or Pakistan itself?

To be fair to the hopefuls, China is indeed the most probable candidate, out of the three, who can balance BCCI. So good bet!

I will personally bet on cricket emergence in the US for this purpose but the US has stopped giving freebies since the last decade so China it is.
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If it's about challenging BCCI, Japan can do that. Japan are atleast developing a cricket culture and working hard on cricket. It will take atleast 10-15 years but knowing Japan and their hardwork, they can make it big in cricket
 
amit said:
ICC tried a lot to get China in cricket, but China never seemed upto the mark. They were losing heavily to teams like Iran, Myanmar, Bhutan, etc who were themselves struggling at Asian level. Even South Korea who made a cricket team less than a year before Asian Games 2014, ended up beating China in Asian Games 2014. At women's cricket China were decent at Associate level for 2-4 years but even there they have declined now. Also China have never been a team sports country, they focus more on individual sports

It's better for ICC to focus on Japan for cricket. Japan are hardworking and have also done well in team sports. Japan have a population of 126 million and they love to play with homegrown team too. If ICC invests in Japan, they will get good returns within 10 years. Japan can be the country which ends BCCI dominance
Click to expand...

Interesting insight. Hopefully cricket can expand as seeing the same names and faces over and again becomes tiresome.
 
For China to be interested, European nations like Spain, Italy, Germany and Netherlands need to be significantly better
 
carnish said:
For China to be interested, European nations like Spain, Italy, Germany and Netherlands need to be significantly better
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Netherlands have a decent team and have homegrown players too, but in recent years with ICC making it tough for Associates, Netherlands have started to pick Dutch origin players from SENA countries like Roelof van der Merwe, Colin Ackermann, etc to improve their standard. Netherlands team in 2003 WC was fully homegrown. Hoping cricket can become bigger there and good performance in ODI super league & T20 WC will help

Out of other countries mentioned, Italy also has some homegrown players and locals playing the sport, they can improve if they invest more in cricket and take cricket seriously. Germany is mostly expat based with Indian expats & Afghan refugees making up their team. Spain looks to be expat based too

Out of the 4 countries mentioned, Netherlands and Italy are the ones who can improve, Netherlands have been among top 2-4 associates since 1980s, just need that final push. Germany and Spain have a long way to go
 
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