Five reasons why you have to watch the Cricket World Cup

If you’re a cricket fan you’ll be receiving the best valentine’s Day present ever: the start of the Cricket World Cup on 14 February! But if you’ve never watched it before and you’re wondering what all the fuss is about, read on…

1. The fans are fantastic. The crowds can be almost more entertaining than the cricket sometimes. Groups of fans from various countries follow their teams around the globe religiously, revelling in their victories and lamenting their losses. They move around in packs, singing their own songs and war cries and painting their faces to resemble their nation’s flag. Most famous of all is the UK’s Barmy Army, also known as the unofficial 12^th man of the England team, which started during the 1995-6 Ashes series in Australia and has been going strong ever since. Then there’s the Bharat Army, India’s group of cheerful cheerleaders that started during the 1999 World Cup, and the Blarney Army, the Irish team’s groupies that started during the 2007 World Cup. Will 2015 be the start of a whole new fan group? Watch this space…
2. The venues are iconic. Australia and New Zealand will be rolling out their finest grounds when they host the world’s top teams. Names of stadiums our grandfathers used to dream of visiting – Eden Park in Auckland, the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the Adelaide Oval, the Sydney Cricket Ground – will be on display for over a month as the tournament sweeps from city to city.
3. There’s bound to be loads of drama. There always is during a world cup – and South Africa, as cricket fans will tell you, have had their fair share in the past.

Fans were heartbroken when rain put paid to what could have been SA’s ticket to the final in the 1992 World Cup. After a 12-minute delay the Proteas’ victory target went from 22 runs off 13 balls to an impossible 22 runs off one ball. England went through to the final instead of SA, and lost to Pakistan.

Then there was the Alan Donald run-out fiasco in the SA vs Australia semi-final of the 1999 World Cup in England: Big hitter Lance Klusener had levelled the score at 213 and, with two balls remaining, the Proteas needed just one more run to get through to the final. The pressure proved too much for Donald who took a rash decision to run – and was run out. Donald was devastated, the team was dejected – and back home in SA the disappointment was almost palpable.

4. It’s going to trend big time on social media. The ICC, according to its website, has 9.8 million likes on Facebook, nearly 4.4 million likes on their Cricket World Cup page and 1.4 million followers on Twitter. Which, as the song goes, means people don’t just like cricket – they love it! It’s bound to be trending during February and March, so best you start liking and following or you’re going to be left out.
5. There were be sixes aplenty! The one-day game is a feast of big hitting. With 50 overs a side, the pressure is on to make as many runs as possible – and that means smashing the ball out of the park if you can. And these guys can! There are few things more nail-biting than a tight finish in a cricket game. Do yourself a favour: watch this tournament. You won’t be sorry.

One last thing: If all this cricket is awakening your desire to play the game yourself, treat yourself and your family to your own cricket set  and awaken your inner AB de Villers or Dale Steyn!