2008 Woodie Awards
Cricket- A New craze at ISU
Elizabeth Olson
Issue date: 4/5/06 Section: Sports
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Although the first recorded cricket match was played in Sussex, England in 1697, the rising popularity of the game has brought its presence all the way to Pocatello, Idaho. There are around 30 Pakistani, Nepali, and Indian students and non-students who enjoy playing on the ISU quad.
Hidayapullah Ahsan, a native of Pakistan, said he has played cricket, "…as long as I can remember. It was the first outdoor game I learned."
Karamatullah Danyal, and Kashif, also both from Pakistan agree, adding they too, have experience with cricket from their early childhoods.
A summer sport, cricket is by far the most popular sport in Pakistan.
Native Shoaib Akhtar is currently the fastest bowler in the world, with a hurling average of approximately 98 miles per hour! Pakistan has also claimed a world cup title, beating out England in 1992 and competing in numerous finals matches since.
Comparable to baseball, cricket is played with a leather ball and a willow bat which is flat on one side and humped on the other for strength. A match consists of two teams of eleven players each on an oval or circular field which contains a rectangular dirt strip 22 yards by 8 ft. 8 in. called a 'pitch.'
A structure called a 'wicket' is placed at each end. The wicket consists of wooden stumps topped by bails, or wooden crosspieces. The ground by each wicket is marked with white lines called 'creases'.
There are two forms of the game. The first is called a 'test' match and occurs over a five day period. The other is a modern adaptation called one day internationals, or ODI's for short.
"The main thing that's different from other games is the length of the game," Danyal said. "They can be long; it depends on how the bowler is bowling."
The eleven players on a team are classified as batsmen, bowlers, and fielders. The only fielder with a glove is the 'wicket-keeper,'
The game progresses with the bowler of one team taking a run up from behind the crease and bowling the ball to the batsmen or 'striker' of the other team at the opposite end of the pitch.
Hidayapullah Ahsan, a native of Pakistan, said he has played cricket, "…as long as I can remember. It was the first outdoor game I learned."
Karamatullah Danyal, and Kashif, also both from Pakistan agree, adding they too, have experience with cricket from their early childhoods.
A summer sport, cricket is by far the most popular sport in Pakistan.
Native Shoaib Akhtar is currently the fastest bowler in the world, with a hurling average of approximately 98 miles per hour! Pakistan has also claimed a world cup title, beating out England in 1992 and competing in numerous finals matches since.
Comparable to baseball, cricket is played with a leather ball and a willow bat which is flat on one side and humped on the other for strength. A match consists of two teams of eleven players each on an oval or circular field which contains a rectangular dirt strip 22 yards by 8 ft. 8 in. called a 'pitch.'
A structure called a 'wicket' is placed at each end. The wicket consists of wooden stumps topped by bails, or wooden crosspieces. The ground by each wicket is marked with white lines called 'creases'.
There are two forms of the game. The first is called a 'test' match and occurs over a five day period. The other is a modern adaptation called one day internationals, or ODI's for short.
"The main thing that's different from other games is the length of the game," Danyal said. "They can be long; it depends on how the bowler is bowling."
The eleven players on a team are classified as batsmen, bowlers, and fielders. The only fielder with a glove is the 'wicket-keeper,'
The game progresses with the bowler of one team taking a run up from behind the crease and bowling the ball to the batsmen or 'striker' of the other team at the opposite end of the pitch.