Question 4 Give brief explanations for the following: The Parsis were the first Indian community to set up a cricket club in India. Mahatma Gandhi condemned the Pentangular tournament. The name of the ICC was changed from the Imperial Cricket Conference to the International Cricket Conference. The shift of the ICC headquarters from London to Dubai.
Class 9 - Social science - History and Sport: The Story of Cricket Page 157
Answers
i)
The Origins of Indian cricket can be found in Bombay and the first Indian communities which started playing the game who were the Parsis.The Parsis is a small community of the Zoroastrians.
They came into close contact with the British because of the interest in trade. They were the first Indian community to Westernise and learn English language and literature.
The Parsis founded the first Indian cricket club called The Oriental club in Bombay in 1848. Their club was sponsored by rich Parsis Businessman such as the Tata and the Wadias. They built their own Gymkhana to play cricket. A Parsis cricket team beat the British cricket team in 1889. This victory filled their heart and soul with pride.
The Parsis thus became the pioneers of Indian cricket.
ii) The main aim of this tournament was to divide society on communal lines.
The teams that played colonials India’s greatest first class cricket tournament were represented by different religious communities. The Pentagular tournament was played by 5 teams the European, the Parsis, The Hindus,The Muslims and the rest community such as Christians.
Gandhiji was against it because the nationalists was trying to unite all the communities of India. The tournament was creating a wedge between different communities and the tournament was weakening the National Movement.
iii)
In 1965 the Imperial cricket conference was named as international cricket conference. Even after The independence of India in 1947 the regulation of the international crickete were in the hands of Imperial cricket conference was under the control of England and Australia. This both countries dominated the game, its proceedings as well as rules and regulations. England and Australia has the right to Veto over the proceedings of the game which for later removed in favour of equal membership in 1889.
iv)
India has the largest viewership of cricket and the largest Market as well. Therefore the games main base is now shifted to South Asia. This shifting was characterized by the shifting of ICC headquarters from London to Dubai, a tax free area.
It showed to the world that newly decolonized countries of the world like Asia Africa and the caribbeans have equal share in the game of Cricket. Now Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, South Africa and the West Indies have carved out and important place in the world cricket.
=========================================================
Hope this will help you...