OPINION • 21
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2015
CONTRIBUTED IMAGE
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played by approximately 120 million people, making it the second-most popular sport in the world. Despite a lack of western admiration, it is globally respected.
Cricket and North American society Why greater financial investment towards the famous sport is crucial for western appreciation and how the excitement of the game continues to be a foreign concept for those unexposed
TARIQUE PLUMMER OPINION COLUMNIST
The noise, the flags, the excitement, the passion and, undoubtedly, the obsession are just a few words which fittingly describe the euphoria around a certain sport. It is played on a specific field with bats and other essentials. No, not baseball. Cricket. The technicality, the complexity and the risk all speak to the structure of the game. Power house nations like England, Australia, South Africa, India and New Zealand more than play the sport.
The culture of their country has been shaped in part by their love of this game. There are other countries which play, including Sri Lanka, Pakistan, the West Indies and also Bangladesh. Interestingly, North America, whether it be the United States or Canada, is missing from the list. Cricket has three formats: a test match which last for five days con-
The technicality, the complexity and the risk all speak to the structure of the game.
secutively, a one-day match which lasts for eight hours and a twenty20 match which is three full hours of nonstop excitement. Matches are played between two teams and they are done throughout the year. Teams tour each other’s countries and with them, bring thousands of fans to fill the stadium. International cricket is the ultimate level of competition. All players desperately try moving through the ranks of school boy cricket, to community cricket then to national, hopefully transitioning to an international team. International cricket makes money for players. Chris Gayle, a West Indian player, made approximately $25 million from one contract to play in a tournament for six weeks. MS Dhoni, an Indian cricketer, makes a yearly income of over $26
There are cricket leagues all over the world which are booming.
million and like Gayle, has made the Forbes Richest People List. Another name worth mentioning is Sachin Tendulkar, who has a net worth of $115 million. Playing one match for three hours surprisingly generates several million dollars. There are cricket leagues all over the world which are booming. They make billions of dollars from
just one tournament. With such an appealing economic gain, one has to wonder how the United States is not involved. Historically, cricket was developed and spread by the British and so Britain colonies with strong ties to the crown adapted the sport as their own. Cricket is played in America, but not on a large scale. Because of this, the United States team is substandard and therefore unable to compete internationally. The USA cricket association gets over $200,000 for their annual budget while the New York Yankees get over $300 million. For a sport to grow, the financial investment has to grow too. Without financial growth, cricket becoming a dominant and respected sport in America is equally as likely as figure skating becoming popular in Jamaica.
Secularity versus faith Our spiritual beliefs don’t ever need to take a back seat
KANWAR BRAR OPINION COLUMNIST
FANI HSIEH/GRAPHIC ARTIST
In contemporary society, there is a lot of emphasis placed on secularism and the separation of religion and state. From a systemic perspective, it is important to have our government institutions free of religious biases, especially because Canadians can be involved in a multitude of religions. However, with a lot of weight being given to this concept, the importance of faith tends to be overlooked. This trend extends to the university setting. For many students, faith is an important part of their life. It is something they believe in profoundly and it is a core part of their being. Religion does not have a monopoly on the concept of faith, but it plays a key role. With the promotion of secularism, it has almost become taboo to talk about a person’s religious beliefs and their faith, whether it is a
supreme being, a deity or a principle. It’s almost treated as an ancient concept and to believe in something centuries old is regarded as old fashioned and “not with the times.” It shouldn’t be. To discuss faith, regardless of what religion you belong to, gives people an opportunity to connect on a higher level and develop an emotional and intellectual attachment which surpasses a lot of the day-to-day conversations we tend to have. However, it can be very difficult to start that conversation. Many students who tend to be more religious than others have trouble initiating the conversation and finding like-minded individuals. A potential limitation is the perception of living different lifestyles. With the excessive partying, drinking and coitus found in university settings, those engaging in the aforementioned activities tend to believe religion can’t go hand in hand. Though this may be the case for certain individuals, it is not the case for all. This exclusive mentality leads to segregation. It is important to distinguish between those who push their beliefs on others and make them feel guilty for their actions —
many of us have run into protestors on main intersections carrying huge signs telling people they will go to hell — compared to those students who simply want to engage in a conversation about something divine and greater than themselves. There is so much potential for inter-faith discussions as well. Because of obedience to a certain religion, it can be intimidating for someone to go up to those who belong to a different faith and engage in a discussion. This is mainly due to the concept of “right versus wrong” differing from one religion to another. But let’s go beyond that. Let’s find our common ground and engage in intellectual discussions which connect us as human beings. This doesn’t exclude atheists and people who don’t follow a religion because to talk about something you believe and have faith in isn’t solely limited to religious affiliation. There is an energy which connects us all. We have our individual interpretations on what that is but regardless, we’re all connected in one way or another. It’s about time we start engaging in these conversations.