All the Indian supporters at Lords.

[Mainze]

Does not surprise me tbh, just because its the great game of cricket it does not make it any different to football support imo.

How can you enjoy a sport if you are tribal like that?

It just borders on embarrassing at times, and highlights ignorance more than anything from large sections of their support....and cricket ain't football thank fook.

 

[Mr Redknapp]

It just borders on embarrassing at times, and highlights ignorance more than anything from large sections of their support....and cricket ain't football thank fook.

I knar.

I never took an interest in football until about 2002 because of the tribalism and ignorance rampant in that sport.

Been watching test cricket for as long as i can remember (first sporting memory is Atherton bowling )

 

[Mainze]

I knar.

I never took an interest in football until about 2002 because of the tribalism and ignorance rampant in that sport.

Been watching test cricket for as long as i can remember (first sporting memory is Atherton bowling )

First time I went to a cricket match Ian Botham whacked a six straight at me at Hartlepool......I dropped it

 

[Mr Redknapp]

First time I went to a cricket match Ian Botham whacked a six straight at me at Hartlepool......I dropped it

your not that old though it must have been a charity game

 

[dangermows]

Never understand the bollocks commentators spout about how fanatical they are in the sub continent, they never ever fill a ground for a test match

they might not fill grounds (dunno if that is down to finances?) but they are canny fanatical like. they celebrate any ball that goes to the rope the same as we do a goal in football. also, did you see the scenes just when tendulkar was going to the nets? (and thats in this country). iirc they packed a stadium out to watch dhoni have his hair cut out in the middle once

one thing which does look shite out in india is when all the blokes in the ground are doing daft dancing and in doing so, look bent as fuck!

 

[Aleem Dar]

Give over man. People can support who they want as long as they stick by them.

Have you thought that maybe it's nice for them to feel some connection to their heritage?

I don't disagree. But can a 3rd generation Pakistani, for example, really feel that strongly that Saj turned his back on an illustrious career with Pakistan for a career with England? Could imagine him getting stick in Karachi but Leeds?

 

[markc]

I don't disagree. But can a 3rd generation Pakistani, for example, really feel that strongly that Saj turned his back on an illustrious career with Pakistan for a career with England? Could imagine him getting stick in Karachi but Leeds?

 

[Aleem Dar]

Best Pakistani seam bowler since the Rawalpindi Express.

 

[sonson]

Now I'd imagine that some would be 2nd or even 3rd generation Indians, who have genuine Indian roots; but should they not be supporting England if they were indeed born on these shores.

Nassar Hussain made the point in his book that when playing Pakistan at Headingley, it can be like playing in Karachi (he didn't say that but it was implied) owing to the large number of Pakistani "supporters" who were all born in England.

Personal choice, or wrong?

Fair enough the 2nd/3rd generation Indians will still have family and/or connections in India but would they class themselves as Indians or British away from the cricket ground?

You can support who you want. I support Ghana as much as England at football, more out of my indifference to English football players than anything, whereas I'm fanatical when it comes to English Rugby and Cricket. Sport doesn't necessarily have to be tied to to your identity, even if it is for many people, myself included. Looking at it the other way, in many cases it makes little sense for someone from the North East to support the England Cricket team. It's an institution that has actively preserved and promoted the upper echelons of the class system and has had more to do with the particular social minority than it has the average Englishman. Things are somewhat better now but it’s still far from being a sport for the people as it is in say, the West Indies.

And England has always reflected ethnic diversity and whoever has occupied it for longest and best, and their culture has eventually become part of ours-be that Roman, Saxon, Norse, Norman, whatever. It may become Indian one day, who knows? But if it does that will just be another chapter in a kingdom which has always had a fluctuating and changing population and identity.