My usual morning routine involves making coffee & breakfast, after which I turn to checking my email, and then reading various newspaper websites. I came across this article in the Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday this week.
Howzat! In a quick declaration, China embraces cricket - Cricket - Sport:
CRICKET is not a sport one normally associates with China, but the world's most populous nation has embarked on an ambitious plan to change that. China's sporting mandarins have dubbed it "the noble game", and with communist single-mindedness have plotted a five-year plan to become a cricketing nation. The Asian Cricket Council's media officer, Shahriar Khan, said China's interest in cricket was simple. It realised that the biggest game in Asia is cricket - a game that China's major rival in the region, India, happens to be rather good at. With China increasingly making its presence felt in the region, learning to play cricket makes good sense. "China very much wants to engage with Asia via this game - they've seen Sri Lanka, a tiny country of 20 million winning a World Cup, and with 1.3 billion people are thinking: surely, surely we can win this as well," Mr Khan said.
When I first arrived in Shanghai, I did a lot of research into the various sports and other activities available in this city. I did come across the Shanghai Cricket Club however as my sport participation leans towards ball sports I know that I'll be sticking with basketball and ultimate for the foreseeable future.
Given the shellacking Australia is receiving in South Africa at the moment - we hardly need any more competition. But I pondered, and though what an Australian vs. China Test Series could be named? The One Australia China Test Match Series perhaps?
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