The decline of Cricinfo and their obsession with India: A disservice to global fans

[Technics 1210]

In fact, use your VPN or NIC to impose a block on all sites hosted and run by India.

Remember, the 3 biggest hacks in the UK this year were traced back to India.

Your data, your digital footprint, your details are not safe when browsing on a site related to India.

In fact, forget boycotting CricIndia, just boycott India, shutdown the propaganda. Let em know how their Zio bretheren are feeling of late.

 

[Major]

Indian labour being cheaper also comes into play.

That’s why if we have Aus vs Pak or BD vs SA or WI vs SL we will always see Indian live commentators on cricinfo and google and elsewhere.

Na man. I wont insult them. Because those commentators provide a service to everyone. For someone who couldnt afford to buy cricket stream as a kid in Canada, i used to read the commentary on cricinfo and imagine the game.based on it.

I would love to work with that team..

 

[jnaveen1980]

Maybe take of your indian lenses and see from a neutral pov.

Here let me help you.

Imagine a india vs australia match being played, and the commentator talks about pakistan and its players in full praise after every ball....

what has anything to do with cricinfo?

 

[Obaidd]

Na man. I wont insult them. Because those commentators provide a service to everyone. For someone who couldnt afford to buy cricket stream as a kid in Canada, i used to read the commentary on cricinfo and imagine the game.based on it.

I would love to work with that team..

My bad, I have really enjoyed that commentary as well.

 

[Major]

what has anything to do with cricinfo?

looks the post went over your head.

Like i said imagine that scenario and tell me whether you would like to watch that match or not?

 

[DeadlyVenom]

People should avoid cricbuzz. Anytime there is a india transgression going on, those people at crizbuzz remove pakistan matches from their website. It only shows how pathetic bunch of people they are

Its funny to see them being harassed on social media by Indians though. Indians think that taking a scorecard for a random Pakistan domestic Champions cup match down on their own website is a big military victory over Pakistan.

 

[jnaveen1980]

looks the post went over your head.

Like i said imagine that scenario and tell me whether you would like to watch that match or not?

Because it never happens unless they are trying to correlate something like they made reference to Akram a few times during ENgland/India series which is totally fine .

 

[Mesozoic]

Its funny to see them being harassed on social media by Indians though. Indians think that taking a scorecard for a random Pakistan domestic Champions cup match down on their own website is a big military victory over Pakistan.

It's a gesture.

Indian history is not bereft of actual military victories over Pakistan that we have to resort to fake wins.

 

[Major]

Because it never happens unless they are trying to correlate something like they made reference to Akram a few times during ENgland/India series which is totally fine .

Ufff again, i said imagine..

You really are weird

 

[jnaveen1980]

Ufff again, i said imagine..

You really are weird

between me and you, i am the weird lol

 

[saimayubera]

Indian labour being cheaper also comes into play.

That’s why if we have Aus vs Pak or BD vs SA or WI vs SL we will always see Indian live commentators on cricinfo and google and elsewhere.

Not just cheap but also good.

Pakistan is one of the cheapest places in Asia (even lower than BD) but due to lack of English language proficiency you don't see their people there.

 

[Obaidd]

Not just cheap but also good.

This is what I am also trying to highlight that for cricinfo diversity is not important.

a) They have correspondents only from a select countries.
b) almost all their Indian correspondents are male, quantitatively inclined, trying too hard to be funny.

Overall it’s a lacklustre product. We all agree India can do not just cheap but also good, what we get however, is not just cheap but also not good.

 

[Shaheenthefalcon]

We are talking about our neighbors “education”?. Have you seen our “kind” is doing foreign countries?. Cab driving and minimal wage does not count. @Nikhil_cric is atleast educated indian who gives actual insight unlike 90% of “us”.

 

[Major]

between me and you, i am the weird lol

You missed the whole point.

 

[RexRex]

Does anyone from where cricinfo buys its stats?

The ICC/BCCI/ECB sell data rights of matches to third-party data companies, just like they do with broadcast rights. Third party then sells it to sites like Cricbuzz and Cricinfo.

Apparently, this is where Cricinfo buys it from -

Trusted Live Opta Sports Data, Sports AI, Technology, API, Feeds

Top pro teams and media choose Stats Perform's trusted Opta sports data and AI to build magic from the detail of sport for billions of fans.

www.statsperform.com

 

[IAJ]

 

[IAJ]

Lol there is a huge difference in feeling reading 3 random wickets and Hattrick!

 

[hassan918]

cricbuzz is giving them good competition.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

cricbuzz is giving them good competition.

Just an update. Cricket.com in India has ceased to exist and has gone the way of GRC in Pakistan and Cricbuzz is not exactly making any profits, so no idea how long they'll be around either.

 

[JaDed]

Just an update. Cricket.com in India has ceased to exist and has gone the way of GRC in Pakistan and Cricbuzz is not exactly making any profits, so no idea how long they'll be around either.

I thought cricbuzz has been repeatedly making profit?

I have not even opened cricinfo for years now..would be tragedy if cricbuzz closes

 

[Devadwal]

I thought cricbuzz has been repeatedly making profit?

I have not even opened cricinfo for years now..would be tragedy if cricbuzz closes

Same I'm also using cricbuzz from past 3-4 years.

 

[JaDed]

Same I'm also using cricbuzz from past 3-4 years.

Yeah it’s much cleaner, and the apps is more efficient for me atleast

 

[Obaidd]

I subscribe to The Athletic for soccer (football) and a host of other sports I follow. They have recently started covering cricket too starting with Ashes 2025. I don’t run out of stuff to read per se because they have a handful of contributors and as you’d expect with The Athletic the quality of content is top notch. I could see cricinfo for scorecards or stats but not for editorial or opinion pieces. Cricbuzz doesn’t even register as an option.

With the kind of cricket I am looking to follow going forward, e.g., Pak vs Eng 2026 test series, I expect it to be well covered by The Athletic.

 

[sweep_shot]

Cricinfo and cricket declined/died when India hijacked both.

I watch cricket since 1997 and cricket was lovely in the late-90's (and even in early-2000's).

 

[BouncerGuy]

CB takes less time to load... CI is bit more clustered I think

 

[Major]

Cricinfo and cricket declined/died when India hijacked both.

I watch cricket since 1997 and cricket was lovely in the late-90's (and even in early-2000's).

The indian hijacking is what saved cricinfo.

You need to understand that cricinfo gives us archives of data and cricket stats. They dont come free and have to pay a subscription to companies that give such services.

We use it for free, but it costs the website. Yes its blogs and news caters to a single market, but its not their fault if cricket is losing its touch in other countries.

If cricinfo is to survive due to India so be it. Those stats they give out for free is what keeps many of us interested towards cricinfo

 

[Hitman]

The indian hijacking is what saved cricinfo.

You need to understand that cricinfo gives us archives of data and cricket stats. They dont come free and have to pay a subscription to companies that give such services.

We use it for free, but it costs the website. Yes its blogs and news caters to a single market, but its not their fault if cricket is losing its touch in other countries.

If cricinfo is to survive due to India so be it. Those stats they give out for free is what keeps many of us interested towards cricinfo

Don't talk logic with him. He says that there used to be cricket before BCCI became a financial behemoth, and cricket will be absolutely fine without India's money.

Well, people used to travel all around the world as well before aeroplanes were invented. ​

 

[Red-Indian]

The indian hijacking is what saved cricinfo.

You need to understand that cricinfo gives us archives of data and cricket stats. They dont come free and have to pay a subscription to companies that give such services.

We use it for free, but it costs the website. Yes its blogs and news caters to a single market, but its not their fault if cricket is losing its touch in other countries.

If cricinfo is to survive due to India so be it. Those stats they give out for free is what keeps many of us interested towards cricinfo

It had a big Indian connection from the beginning. A lot of the coding for the live scorecards etc. was done by Indian computer science student nerds in college dorms in the US desperate for news from the 1996 World Cup.

 

[Major]

It had a big Indian connection from the beginning. A lot of the coding for the live scorecards etc. was done by Indian computer science student nerds in college dorms in the US desperate for news from the 1996 World Cup.

Dont care

 

[jeeteshssaxena]

Dont care

Doesn’t matter, its still a fact.

 

[Red-Indian]

Dont care

That's a pity. As @jeeteshssaxena says it's always been mainly an Indian site. As I said, the a lot of the original coders were India. It received it's first major Indian investment in 2000 and has continued to tilt increasingly Indian since then.

 

[Major]

Doesn’t matter, its still a fact.

Again, dont care.

Topic isnt about that is it? Topic is about how cricinfo is pro india and my argument is that its free model forces it to lean towards its pro india stance to help it make money and survive and keep giving us free stats.

I know that when someone like me gives praise to India, indians tend to go gaga and lay flat to the point that they start telling us irrelevant stories like how that poster told me that some poor indian boy made it and so on.

Dont care, isnt part of dicussion and adds no value to it. Discussion is of abc and he wants to discuss xyz which is irrelevent

 

[DeadlyVenom]

The indian hijacking is what saved cricinfo.

You need to understand that cricinfo gives us archives of data and cricket stats. They dont come free and have to pay a subscription to companies that give such services.

We use it for free, but it costs the website. Yes its blogs and news caters to a single market, but its not their fault if cricket is losing its touch in other countries.

If cricinfo is to survive due to India so be it. Those stats they give out for free is what keeps many of us interested towards cricinfo

Fair comment.

We do have a right to complain about the content at times.

But the pros of the site far outweigh the costs.

And I guess if we want to enjoy those pros we should suck it up and tolerate the cons.

They sometimes do set a low bar for coverage though. I bet most Indians fans would appreciate more nuance at times too.

 

[Major]

That's a pity. As @jeeteshssaxena says it's always been mainly an Indian site. As I said, the a lot of the original coders were India. It received it's first major Indian investment in 2000 and has continued to tilt increasingly Indian since then.

No it wasnt always and indian site and the nationality of coders doesnt matter.

Coding a website is a different thing and posting content is different.

If the cnn website was coded by an indian, that means CNN starts covering more news of India and non of USA?

See the problem?

Its tilt towards to india has nothing to do with who its coder is and who is doing investment to the website.

Cricinfo buys stats and gives them out for free. Now to make money back to cover cost and make a profit it needs to post ads and get views on those ads and videos. To do that they will make and target their content where they are more likely to get more views on their website and content.

Indians are bigger in number, follow cricket more, hence they target towards them which is why cricinfo survives.

Their is a difference between investment and consumer consumption.

 

[Major]

Fair comment.

We do have a right to complain about the content at times.

But the pros of the site far outweigh the costs.

And I guess if we want to enjoy those pros we should suck it up and tolerate the cons.

They sometimes do set a low bar for coverage though. I bet most Indians fans would appreciate more nuance at times too.

Problem is until and unless indians dont demand for quality content companies like cricinfo wont give it.

I have noticed that Indians are happy staying in a bubble where they are no.1 while the total number of competitors were just 2.

If Indians demand for more content on other countries, where they get articles on australian cricket, pakistan cricket etc, only than cricinfo will start covering more. Along side that if indians demand for more neutral perspective rather than a bias one again, only than cricinfo will give that.

Now some indian is going to read above and start giving a lecture that why would an indian want to know about australian or pakistani cricketers or a unbias opinion on india. But that is how sports in north america and europe have evolved where sports trams like man united may exist in UK but have fans in South America, Pakistan, India, and every other corner.

So the onus is on the indian fans, they will get to dictate the quality of it.

As for cricinfo take the example of wikipedia. They give us information for free, but it has to run on donations to cover cost and are always pleading for it. So cricinfo rightly has to cater to where it gets its money from

 

[Red-Indian]

No it wasnt always and indian site and the nationality of coders doesnt matter.

Coding a website is a different thing and posting content is different.

If the cnn website was coded by an indian, that means CNN starts covering more news of India and non of USA?

See the problem?

Its tilt towards to india has nothing to do with who its coder is and who is doing investment to the website.

Cricinfo buys stats and gives them out for free. Now to make money back to cover cost and make a profit it needs to post ads and get views on those ads and videos. To do that they will make and target their content where they are more likely to get more views on their website and content.

Indians are bigger in number, follow cricket more, hence they target towards them which is why cricinfo survives.

Their is a difference between investment and consumer consumption.

You say that because you don't really know how Cricinfo evolved.

For most of it's early years, Cricinfo had no money and survived because of volunteers who input scores, wrote code etc. Most of those volunteer kids were Indians (with a few Brits & Australians) and that's why the tilt was already towards Indian coverage. After all, they were mainly watching Indian games.

In 2000, when it was in financial trouble, it survived because of an investment and a massive stake by an Indian media company called Sify who again pushed towards more Indian coverage.

The Wisden era (2003-2007) was probably the only era when you could say it wasn't tilted Indian.

Once ESPN bought it in 2007, they started moving coverage heavily towards India.

 

[RexRex]

Fair comment.

We do have a right to complain about the content at times.

But the pros of the site far outweigh the costs.

And I guess if we want to enjoy those pros we should suck it up and tolerate the cons.

They sometimes do set a low bar for coverage though. I bet most Indians fans would appreciate more nuance at times too.

What's your complaints with Cricinfo as it is now ? I haven't visited the content on the site in a long time so I'm curious.

 

[Cover Drive Six]

Cricbuzz mobile app and UI are much better than Cricinfo. My first preference is Cricbuzz for catching the latest updates, and then I look at Cricinfo.
For stats and other analysis, I prefer Cricinfo.

 

[RexRex]

Here's a great article on how Cricinfo was started -

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/badri-seshadri-looks-back-at-the-origins-and-evolution-of-cricinfo-part-one-674431?referrer=grok.com

 

[Major]

You say that because you don't really know how Cricinfo evolved.

For most of it's early years, Cricinfo had no money and survived because of volunteers who input scores, wrote code etc. Most of those volunteer kids were Indians (with a few Brits & Australians) and that's why the tilt was already towards Indian coverage. After all, they were mainly watching Indian games.

In 2000, when it was in financial trouble, it survived because of an investment and a massive stake by an Indian media company called Sify who again pushed towards more Indian coverage.

The Wisden era (2003-2007) was probably the only era when you could say it wasn't tilted Indian.

Once ESPN bought it in 2007, they started moving coverage heavily towards India.

never mind, you still dont understand what is being discussed.

You further failed to comprehend my post that a tilt it because of views not because of coders

 

[Red-Indian]

Problem is until and unless indians dont demand for quality content companies like cricinfo wont give it.

I have noticed that Indians are happy staying in a bubble where they are no.1 while the total number of competitors were just 2.

If Indians demand for more content on other countries, where they get articles on australian cricket, pakistan cricket etc, only than cricinfo will start covering more. Along side that if indians demand for more neutral perspective rather than a bias one again, only than cricinfo will give that.

Now some indian is going to read above and start giving a lecture that why would an indian want to know about australian or pakistani cricketers or a unbias opinion on india. But that is how sports in north america and europe have evolved where sports trams like man united may exist in UK but have fans in South America, Pakistan, India, and every other corner.

So the onus is on the indian fans, they will get to dictate the quality of it.

As for cricinfo take the example of wikipedia. They give us information for free, but it has to run on donations to cover cost and are always pleading for it. So cricinfo rightly has to cater to where it gets its money from

Yes that is mostly true. India is very insular and except for a few sporting celebrities, most people aren't too aware or interested in international sport. Which is investment and viewership figures in sport outside cricket are very low. Don't hold your breath in the near future for improvement in cricket coverage. Unfortunately Indians who, as you say, pay for it are just not interested.

It's similar to the US in that sense. Most Americans are barely aware of international sport. If you ask the average American to name a footballer, they will start with Messi, Ronaldo and end up with Beckham. Basketball is a very popular sport in the States but they won't be able to name a team outside the NBA or the last FIBA champion.

 

[Major]

Cricbuzz mobile app and UI are much better than Cricinfo. My first preference is Cricbuzz for catching the latest updates, and then I look at Cricinfo.
For stats and other analysis, I prefer Cricinfo.

No one beats cricinfo in stats. Their stats guru has been their main usp, even when they have shitty app and a not soo good website as it used to.

Cricbuzz might be a better site, but they have lost it completely for choosing sides in politics. Deciding to remove mention of pakistan series or domestic games during conflict and than bringing them back when things are normal has shown that cricbuzz executives are unstable.

Cricinfo on the other hand has acted sane on such instances. Espn running it might be the factor

 

[DeadlyVenom]

What's your complaints with Cricinfo as it is now ? I haven't visited the content on the site in a long time so I'm curious.

No major complaints.

I just use it for scorecards and statsguru and it is excellent for that.

Pre-match coverage, match reports, articles, etc, I don't bother with. They aren't as good as they were before.

Apart from the coverage becoming Indian centric, they seem to have gone down the route of video interviews and flashy videos. I'm old school. I liked their articles that Kimber, Samiudin etc used to write.

 

[RexRex]

But that is how sports in north america and europe have evolved where sports trams like man united may exist in UK but have fans in South America, Pakistan, India, and every other corner.

Sports fans in North America and Europe are very tribal and focus on themselves and their own markets, so that's a terrible example.

 

[Major]

Sports fans in North America and Europe are very tribal and focus on themselves and their own markets, so that's a terrible example.

You are not getting the point. Sports fans in North America look for quality. If a journalist starts posting too much in favor news of their own team they tend to call that journalist out. Happened many timea during trade seasons.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Yes that is mostly true. India is very insular and except for a few sporting celebrities, most people aren't too aware or interested in international sport. Which is investment and viewership figures in sport outside cricket are very low. Don't hold your breath in the near future for improvement in cricket coverage. Unfortunately Indians who, as you say, pay for it are just not interested.

It's similar to the US in that sense. Most Americans are barely aware of international sport. If you ask the average American to name a footballer, they will start with Messi, Ronaldo and end up with Beckham. Basketball is a very popular sport in the States but they won't be able to name a team outside the NBA or the last FIBA champion.

Indian market is relatively immature. They view sports as an extension of their countries politics, so the tribal factor is amplified when compared to other countries.

Not saying we would be much better if we were at the head of the table before anyone comes for me.

 

[RexRex]

One thing I remember is Cricinfo was always worried about its accreditation and access to the media box, which depends on their strained relations with various cricket boards. I remember George Dobell left because he kept writing about asian discrimination in English cricket and ECB weren't too happy and the Cricinfo editor wanted him to stop. Dobell left Cricinfo immediately after that.

Sharda Ugra was an Indian journo who used to regularly criticise the BCCI but I noticed she doesn't write on Cricinfo anymore.

 

[Major]

No major complaints.

I just use it for scorecards and statsguru and it is excellent for that.

Pre-match coverage, match reports, articles, etc, I don't bother with. They aren't as good as they were before.

Apart from the coverage becoming Indian centric, they seem to have gone down the route of video interviews and flashy videos. I'm old school. I liked their articles that Kimber, Samiudin etc used to write.

Samiuddin articles and match previews were pure loveee.

I miss those days of watching cricket. Reading up the match preview, getting some info on all the players and pitch condition. Than post 2009 came the x factor player report which used to be spot on.

Than after the match reading the whole summary of how the journalist described it

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Samiuddin articles and match previews were pure loveee.

I miss those days of watching cricket. Reading up the match preview, getting some info on all the players and pitch condition. Than post 2009 came the x factor player report which used to be spot on.

Than after the match reading the whole summary of how the journalist described it

They tried for a while to monetise the higher quality articles. Do you remember the initial plan for the cricket monthly was to pay a subscription.

I dont think anybody paid up, so they reduced the content and made it free, you are right, ultimately we can't blame the Indians too much, its coz of them we get something at least.

 

[Red-Indian]

Indian market is relatively immature. They view sports as an extension of their countries politics, so the tribal factor is amplified when compared to other countries.

Not saying we would be much better if we were at the head of the table before anyone comes for me.

I'm not sure that's true. Except for World Cups, the IPL is the most popular cricket in India and that obviously has nothing to do with politics...or if it does, it's to do with some regional rivalries.

When facing externally, like on this forum (especially on this forum), you'll obviously see the jingoistic side of Indian sport but in general it's no more an extension of the country's politics than it is for every country. There's a lot of pride whenever India achieves something (anything!) in sport but except against Pakistan when we do play the rare game, none of it is seen as a expression of victory or domination over the other country.

 

[CrIc_Mystique]

Lol there is a huge difference in feeling reading 3 random wickets and Hattrick!

I totally agree with that -with what you have written above. The emotions of hattrick are different from 3 random wickets....with you bro on that.

and a hattrick is a rare event and deserves credit/celebration/kudos - no question on that...

However, you are suggesting one particular nationality of whoever writes this stuff on espncricinfo had an agenda specifically to down your lot or dowplay the achievement and hence they naffed off a hattrick as 3 random wickets, as nonchanlantly as one flicks ash off a ciggy or india's Mo Azhar diamond electric cool in wristing a delivery pitched on the off thru the leside ...

Could you also enlighten how many other occasions this has happened?

Tallking exact metrics - with empirical/quantifiable/calcualtable evidence how exactly was India directly involved in this PARTICULAR EXAMPLE and attempted to downplay the great achievement of a hattrick by a pakistani player againsT Afg?

Also what did india or whoever stand to gain by supressing the achievement?

On the Flip side how exactly would they/Pak or any other team be disadvantaged if the awesome achievement of a hattrick of a pak player against Afg in a T20 was reported exactly as it happened, what would be the empirical/quantifiable/calculatable metrics of measuring this 'disadvantage'?

thanks in advance

 

[sweep_shot]

The indian hijacking is what saved cricinfo.

You need to understand that cricinfo gives us archives of data and cricket stats. They dont come free and have to pay a subscription to companies that give such services.

We use it for free, but it costs the website. Yes its blogs and news caters to a single market, but its not their fault if cricket is losing its touch in other countries.

If cricinfo is to survive due to India so be it. Those stats they give out for free is what keeps many of us interested towards cricinfo

Cricket was lovely before India hijacked it.

It has turned into a ghetto sport full of petty politics, drama etc. These things were not present before (not to this extent at least).

 

[Markhor]

There’s an Indian in the featured section as well @Markhor :

View attachment 156805

This is such an underrated comment

 

[Hitman]

Cricket was lovely before India hijacked it.

It has turned into a ghetto sport full of petty politics, drama etc. These things were not present before (not to this extent at least).

So lovely that cricketers had to play charity matches to raise money when some former cricketer fell ill and required treatment.​

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Cricket was lovely before India hijacked it.

It has turned into a ghetto sport full of petty politics, drama etc. These things were not present before (not to this extent at least).

Bro India has done some good things too. For example when they basically bailed South Africa out during covid time by touring.

They should be criticised for their transgressions, but we should also acknowledge what they bring to the table.

 

[sweep_shot]

Bro India has done some good things too. For example when they basically bailed South Africa out during covid time by touring.

They should be criticised for their transgressions, but we should also acknowledge what they bring to the table.

Did they do it out of altruism? I am not sure. I wouldn't be surprised if they ripped off South Africa in other ways.

Overall, I think they made cricket unappealing with overcommercialization, corruption, and petty politics. Cons massively outweigh the pros.

 

[nish_mate]

Cricket’s glorious decline began the day Bangladesh got full-member status. It’s been one long slide since — discount team, bargain-bin fans, and antics straight out of a budget drama. The stat-padding’s elite though