Cricket is a sport that is famous in many parts of the world and is even a national sport in some countries. These days, more than just 3 or 4 teams tend to control the worldwide competition. We observe new nations and teams rising through the rankings, surprising top international opponents, and inflicting upsets in international ICC tournaments. With a Parimatch bet, you have a unique opportunity to try your luck and bet on these new countries in cricket competitions and other sports throughout the year.
Cricket is in a growing phase, and we could see new cricket-playing nations emerging on the international stage every now and then. In this article, we will talk about five such countries where cricket is gaining popularity.
Oman
Oman is an associate nation of the ICC and has not received the tag of an international nation yet. It was only in the year 2002 that some cricket at the highest level was played by the Oman cricket team. The popularity of the sport gradually increased, and Oman played their first T20I match ever in 2015, and they played their first ODI match in 2019.
Today, Oman is playing in the ICC 2023 Cricket World Cup Qualifiers and has already staged an upset by beating Ireland. The increasing love and fan following of the sport in the country have allowed more people to take up cricket as a profession, and with their hard work, Oman has now reached the highest level as a cricket-playing nation.
We could see them becoming an international member of the ICC very soon.
Nepal
Cricket in Nepal started a long way back in the 1940s, but it did not get much popularity back then due to the lack of infrastructural developments. But with the development of cricket infrastructure, in different parts of the country, people started knowing the sport in the 1908s, the craze for cricket increased, and Nepal became an associate member of the ICC in 1996.
The Nepal Cricket Team’s first big achievement was the runner-up title in the ACC Premier Cup in 2002. Their first T20 international was in 2014 against Hong Kong, and their first one-day international was against the Netherlands in 2018.
Nepal’s cricket team still has a long way to go before they get the tag of an international member of the ICC, but the following for the sport in the country and new cricketers emerging will only make the process faster.
Brazil
Cricket was initially played in Brazil in the middle of the 1800s when a substantial portion of Rio de Janeiro’s people were English or belonged to Britain. But the sport truly took off at the Sao Paulo Athletic Club (SPAC), which is still the centre of cricket in the country. R.A. Brooking served as the organization’s first president when the Brazil Cricket Association (BCA) was founded in 1922.
To keep up with this increase in cricket activities in Brazil, the national Associaço Brasileira do Cricket (ABC) started in 2001. In 2003, Brazil became an affiliate member of the ICC, though it has still not become an associate nation. The last cricket match that the Brazilian team played was against Mexico in 2019.
Portugal
During the Peninsular War (1809–1814), when English troops were camped near Lisbon, cricket first appeared in Portugal. Since then every year beginning in 1861, a match has been contested between teams from Portugal and Lisbon. In 1994, Portugal had its cricket association, which became an affiliate member of the ICC in 1996.
As of 2017, Portugal started playing cricket matches regularly and became an associate member of the ICC. Cricket has been gradually gaining popularity in this football-rich nation, and the people in Portugal are starting to show interest in this beautiful sport. Portugal played their first T20I against Spain in 2019, and they recently played a T20I series against Gibraltar in 2023.
USA
Another nation where the popularity of cricket is growing day by day is the United States of America. Baseball, a very similar sport to cricket, has been played here for quite a while now, but cricket is also getting some recognition. The United States cricket team is an associate member of the ICC as well.
The national team is currently taking part in the ICC 2023 Cricket World Cup Qualifiers and performing very well there against competitive teams. The developments in infrastructure and success at the highest level have allowed more and more young people to take up cricket as a profession in the USA.
The introduction of Major League Cricket will play a huge role in boosting cricket in the USA
Final Verdict
Though there are only 7-8 teams currently on the international stage that are dominating the cricketing world, new countries like those mentioned above are rising to the occasion as cricket is gaining popularity there.
The day is not far when we might see an underdog team beat the international teams and win a big ICC tournament. The thought although far-fetched, could turn a possibility a decade down the line.
