A common bond that can unite many people even with diverse views and beliefs is a passion for the game of cricket. In many countries like India, the game is more of a religion with the players assuming the role of idols. The outcome of a match can drastically turn around the way the fans view the cricketers, a win placing them on the pedestals while a loss can instigate extreme anger and disappointment in the players. Another important behavior of the fans is their immense involvement in the game and the players and often the bond exists much beyond the field. A player's personal life, performance on the field, statistics and records all matter significantly to an individual who has tremendous interest in the game.
Cricket has gone much beyond being just a gentleman's game and has achieved much fan following and popularity around the world. So if cricket is your religion and the players are your idols then you are not alone, there are millions of fans across the world who shares your passion for the game in equal measure.
In cricket-mad South Asia, a frenzy of feeling for the game burst open for the past two months as the Cricket World Cup 2011 was played out in host countries India, Bangladesh, and SriLanka. Fourteen nations participated in the tournament, and the semifinals featured what is arguably the world's most heated sports rivalry: India vs. Pakistan.
Children play cricket on the banks of the River Brahmaputra in Gauhati, India January 23. The international cricket landscape has changed dramatically, with India now the commercial powerbase of the sport and the nation of almost 1.2 billion people expecting its team to win a World Cup in the subcontinent.
Indians play cricket at the University ground in Ahmadabad, India January 30.
A Sri Lankan carpenter carries a stock of unfinished wooden cricket bats outside a roadside factory in Colombo's suburban Mortatuwa area on February 22, 2010. Bats are in demand at this small factory in cricket-mad Sri Lanka, where the home team was touted as one of the favorites to win the 2011 cricket World Cup. Sri Lanka won in 1996 and was runner-up in 2007.
Sri Lankan boys play a game of cricket on a deserted street in Colombo, Sri Lanka January 23.
Indian Hindu priests hold a replica of the Cricket World Cup trophy during a special prayer organised to seek blessings of Hindu god Lord Ganesha for the victory of the Indian cricket team in the tournament, at the Siddhivinayak Temple in Mumbai on Feburary 17, 2011.
A passenger jet comes in to land as Bangladeshi boys play cricket in Dhaka, Bangladesh, March 16, 2011.
Scoreboard workers keep track of the match during the ICC Cricket World Cup match between Bangladesh and England in Chittagong, Bangladesh, March 11, 2011.
A Pakistan fan watches the match between Pakistan and Canada in the Cricket World Cup 2011 tournament at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on March 3, 2011.
Police and security officers beat back charging fans who had queued overnight at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, India, for tickets to the India vs. England IIC Cricket World Cup 2011 match, February 24, 2011. Indian media reported that the public allocation of 7,000 tickets had all gone by late morning and the crowds vented their frustration by lashing out at police, who responded by trying to subdue crowds with their bamboo sticks, or lathis.
Indian prisoners cheer as they watch the ICC Cricket World Cup match between India and the Netherlands on television at the Ahmedabad Central Jail in Ahmadabad, India, March 9, 2011.
A Bangladesh fan celebrates his team's victory over England after their ICC Cricket World Cup match in Chittagong, Bangladesh, March 11, 2011.
Indian villagers watch on television the Cricket World Cup match between India and Ireland, at a tea shop in Allahabad, India, March 6, 2011.
Pakistani cricket fans celebrate on a street in Islamabad on March 23, 2011, after Pakistan won their quarter-final Cricket World Cup tournament match against West Indies at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium in Dhaka.
Indian fans celebrate the victory of their team over Australia in the ICC Cricket World Cup quarterfinal match, as they watch the match on a screen displayed at a shop in New Delhi, India, Thursday, March 24, 2011. India ended Australia's 12-year World Cup domination Thursday, with Sachin Tendulkar leading a star-studded batting lineup to a five-wicket victory which set up a semifinal classic against archrival Pakistan.
Children use electric poles for wickets as they play cricket between the railway tracks in Mumbai March 28, 2011.
Mirza Asif, 35, applies the final coats of varnish to a cricket bat at a factory in Sialkot February 8, 2011. Pakistan's eastern city of Sialkot has been a major source of sports goods for international sports events for decades.
Children play cricket in the park near the India Gate on March 20, 2011 in Delhi.
Bangladeshi youths play cricket on the roof of a building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, March 17, 2011.
Boys play a game of cricket in Dhaka, Bangladesh, March 16, 2011.
A lookalike of Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar performs Hindu rituals as he participates in a religious ceremony for the victory of the Indian team in Ahmedabad on February 26, 2011.
Indian cricket fans celebrate as they sit outside and watch the second semifinal of the ICC Cricket world Cup between India and Pakistan in Kolkata on March 30, 2011.
Fans react as they watch the ICC Cricket World Cup semifinal match between India and Pakistan on a screen in Mumbai March 30, 2011.
A prisoner, wearing the colors of Pakistan, celebrates an out against India from a jail in Karachi during the ICC Cricket World Cup semifinal match in India on March 30, 2011.
Pakistani cricket fans gather as they watch the Cricket World Cup 2011 semifinal match between Pakistan and India on a huge outdoor screen in Islamabad on March 30, 2011. Millions of Pakistanis gathered around giant screens set up across the country on the streets and playgrounds to witness the World Cup semifinal thriller with chief rival India. The government declared half-day holiday in offices and schools to enable the cricket frenzied people to enjoy the exciting moments of the match dubbed as the "clash of titans."
An imam at a Karachi mosque leads worshippers in a special prayer for the Pakistan cricket team ahead of their match against India, March 29, 2011. For many, victory against India is even more important than winning the tournament.
Sri Lankan cricket fans watch the Cricket World Cup final match against India on a giant screen in Colombo, April 2, 2011.
Sri Lankan Buddhist devotees offer special prayers to bless the national cricket team at the Kelaniya Temple in Kelaniya, Sri Lanka on April 1, 2011.
Pakistani cricket fans react while watching their national team play India on television along the roadside in Multan, Pakistan on March 30, 2011.
Indian migrant workers celebrate as they watch their team win the ICC Cricket World Cup semifinal match against Pakistan on television outside in New Delhi, March 30, 2011.
Indians celebrate after their team won the ICC World Cup cricket semifinal match against Pakistan, in Mumbai, March 30, 2011. India upstaged archrival Pakistan by 29 runs in the so-called "mother of all World Cup matches" to progress to the final against Sri Lanka.
Indian cricket fans watch the ICC World Cup cricket semifinal match between India and Pakistan on a projector set on the side of a road in Allahabad, India, March 30, 2011.
People celebrate after India won the Cricket World Cup final match against Sri Lanka in Mumbai, India, April 2, 2011.
Sri Lankan cricket fans watch the Cricket World Cup final match between Sri Lanka and India on a giant screen in Colombo on April 2, 2011.
A dejected Sri Lankan cricket fan cries during a telecast of the Cricket World Cup final match between Sri Lanka and India, in Colombo on April 2, 2011. India defeated Sri Lanka to win the 2011 World Cup.
Sri Lankan cricket fans watch the Cricket World Cup final match against India on a giant screen in Colombo, April 2, 2011.
Cricket fans celebrate in Allahabad, India, after India won the ICC Cricket World Cup final match against Sri Lanka, April 2, 2011. India sparked wild celebrations among their billion supporters after beating Sri Lanka by six wickets in the World Cup final at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium on Saturday.
Cricket fans celebrate in Allahabad, India, after India won the ICC Cricket World Cup final match against Sri Lanka, April 2, 2011. India sparked wild celebrations among their billion supporters after beating Sri Lanka by six wickets in the World Cup final at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium on Saturday.
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