Cricket is like a force that unites people regardless of age or gender because they are fans and friends at the same time. It is a great connector with areas of concerns which should be addressed.
However, it attracts critics in many areas. These include unjust activities, like match fixing, doping, discriminating against players, abusing them, management issues, bullying, mental problems, gender inequity, etc.
In spite of protests by the citizens, there is a constant report of corruptness in Sri Lanka’s cricket matches. Films are always keen on pointing at the possibility of a misleading edge being given by performance-enhancing substances and thus posing for the necessity of fairness in sports.
The latest discourse came after the ICC prohibited Transwomen and Transmen from participating and a Canadian athlete retired shortly after embarking on their global mission. It was designed to preserve the spirit of womens’ cricket, however it has been criticised on the basis that it may be discriminatory.
Exploitations have been revealed in such investigations like bribe, abuse, or corruption inside of cricket. The game has been touched by racism also, whereby Kapil Dev experienced serious racism as the leader of Indian cricket team 1983.
It is not only concerning cricket’s standards, but cricket fan and their behaviors and ethics as well. Sadly, at the ICC Cricket World Cup final in 2023 between India and Australia, many Indian supporters behaved unacceptably in protest against their team’s defeat, provoking a number of cases of rioting in India and harassment of Australians. As a result, the sadness-driven behavior of this kind should have been met with the right sportive behaviour.
Aware of these pros and cons, cricket could aim to become a sport that applauds ability, honesty and equal opportunity among other things.
Rtr Shainsa De Silva