Is cricket suffering from depression?

[Skater]

Is cricket suffering from depression?

I predicted it here in September, and much of it is coming true. Jubilant scenes this afternoon as England scored a goal that beat Ecuador and put them into the quarter finals of the World Cup...

David Beckham celebrates scoring a goal for England this afternoon

...were preceeded by Steve Harmison being almost unable to watch England lose to Sri Lanka again yesterday.

Steve Harmison buries his head in his shirt as England lost to Sri Lanka yesterday

This leads me to believe that cricket in England is in depression. The team is not winning games, the crowds are shrinking and the general interest in the team after injury problems is low.

Most of the country was watching the England football match this afternoon, the team is into the quarter-finals of the World Cup and the general interest in the team couldn't be higher or more documented.

Discuss. Is cricket suffering from depression will it remain that way until 2009?

 

[evertonfan]

If England get beat in the quarter-finals, then the English football will be in depression. That's just the way it is.

You can't blame the cricketing public for feeling depressed about losing, because it isn't exactly the most joyous thing in the world is it?

 

[JamesyJames3]

No, I don't think it is at all. The hype around this winters Ashes is still as big as it's ever been. Thousands of English are trying their best to get tickets for the series down under.

Football has taken the wheel for the time being, but that was surely to be expected. The England football team is as good as it has been for the past 40 years and has it's best shot at winning the World Cup for such a long time. Adding this to the fact that football is 1 - The biggest sport in the world and 2 - A game created by the English. There was always bound to be more attention on football. However, I don't think the interest in cricket has declined. The Saturday tickets for the Old Trafford test against Pakistan coming up next month were sold out way back in February. Then you have to look at domestic cricket where this is happening too. Lancs v Yorks in the 20/20 was sold out in a couple of days.

Definately not a depression. Just a bit more of focus on football for the next month or so. Once the World Cup is over I expect Cricket to be back in the eyeline.

 

[FreddieFan]

Crowds will follow any team thats winning. After the heights of the Ashes last year, the team has suddenly stopped winning. Losing in Pakistan, drawing in India and drawing to Sri Lanka, teams that we really should be beating (no disrespect to them, but England on form would be confident of winning) and it's no wonder that the country switches back to football, which, despite bad performances, is at least winning games.

 

[sohum]

Crowds will follow any team thats winning. After the heights of the Ashes last year, the team has suddenly stopped winning. Losing in Pakistan, drawing in India and drawing to Sri Lanka, teams that we really should be beating (no disrespect to them, but England on form would be confident of winning) and it's no wonder that the country switches back to football, which, despite bad performances, is at least winning games.

I think its harsh to expect the English team to do well in the subcontinent seeing that they have never really done it in the past.

However, English cricket is suffering from a large number of injuries which is certainly causing them to lose a lot of face and respect in international cricket. One hopes that they pull back some of the greatness that allowed them to regain the Ashes when Pakistan tours them, although I'll be supporting Pakistan.

 

[FreddieFan]

I think its harsh to expect the English team to do well in the subcontinent seeing that they have never really done it in the past.

Maybe, but if we want to be the best, or even second best team in the world, we need to be able to beat everyone, everywhere. And yes, injuries haven't helped but there's nothing we can do about that - we might be in the same situation in the Ashes this winter, or in the world cup, and excuses won't win them.

 

[evertonfan]

Most of the English general public will support any england team that's winning; i.e the rugby union team during the 2003 World Cup, and the Ashes last year. Also, a lot of people aren't able to watch England live anymore, because of the idots at the ECB and Sky, whereas the World Cup is broadcast on terrestrial channels.

 

[sohum]

Maybe, but if we want to be the best, or even second best team in the world, we need to be able to beat everyone, everywhere. And yes, injuries haven't helped but there's nothing we can do about that - we might be in the same situation in the Ashes this winter, or in the world cup, and excuses won't win them.

Obviously you need to be able to beat everyone if you want to be the best. But to expect that you will beat everyone when you aren't the best is not an acceptable or fair way to treat the English team.

 

[FreddieFan]

Obviously you need to be able to beat everyone if you want to be the best. But to expect that you will beat everyone when you aren't the best is not an acceptable or fair way to treat the English team.

I would be very surprised if England were aiming at anything less than series wins in any of the series I mentioned, bar, possibly, India. Anyway, I believe that an England team with all the right players fit is the best team in the world, and should therefore be capable of beating everybody.

 

[Sureshot]

I think its harsh to expect the English team to do well in the subcontinent seeing that they have never really done it in the past.

However, English cricket is suffering from a large number of injuries which is certainly causing them to lose a lot of face and respect in international cricket. One hopes that they pull back some of the greatness that allowed them to regain the Ashes when Pakistan tours them, although I'll be supporting Pakistan.

We're also suffering from poor selection and poor coaching imo.

 

[aussie1st]

Cricket will be fine once the Ashes and Cricket World Cup kick in. Of course if the English lose the Ashes then there will be a major depression for Cricket in England. Could well see some English coaches being sacked.

 

[kodos]

England cricket may seem like a depression atm due to the current football world cup and the general public are much more looking forward to the Ashes this year. It seems that the English team and the public have taken the approach "Don't worry about playing well or performing to our best against Sri Lanka and put all our effort later when the Ashes arrive."

Crowds dwindling? I think most of the ODI games are sold out despite them being on in the middle of the world cup and the crowds in the tests were considerably good considering it was the earliest start to the test season and also many underestimated the Sri Lankans.

Once the Pakistan series arrive, I believe the attention would switch from the football to the cricket as many expect England to seek revenge from the test series loss in Pak.

 

[evertonfan]

England cricket may seem like a depression atm due to the current football world cup and the general public are much more looking forward to the Ashes this year. It seems that the English team and the public have taken the approach "Don't worry about playing well or performing to our best against Sri Lanka and put all our effort later when the Ashes arrive."

Crowds dwindling? I think most of the ODI games are sold out despite them being on in the middle of the world cup and the crowds in the tests were considerably good considering it was the earliest start to the test season and also many underestimated the Sri Lankans.

Once the Pakistan series arrive, I believe the attention would switch from the football to the cricket as many expect England to seek revenge from the test series loss in Pak.

Couldn't have put it better myself! I expect the England players will want revenge for what happened in November/December last year. They should be more motivated to win after they 'did a Trent Bridge' at Lahore (but lost), and then they were lucky not to lose at Faisalabad, and then they were completely destroyed at Karachi. I really look forward to this series, despite Pakistan losing 1 or 2 key players.

 

[sid_19840]

I would say that its a postive sign for sport in England,it shows that people watch different sports and different periods and thus would provide more future sportsmen in each of the sports rather than just one sport(ala cricket in India).

 

[evertonfan]

I would say that its a postive sign for sport in England,it shows that people watch different sports and different periods and thus would provide more future sportsmen in each of the sports rather than just one sport(ala cricket in India).

Agreed, and Wimbledon starts over here this week too. All we need is a good tennis player and we'd be a pretty successful multi-sport country! As long as England do well against Pakistan, the general public will be happy.