International citizens reflect on cricket fever in India

Things are changingUnited States of America Mike Hankey Consul GeneralSachin Tendulkar with US Consul General Mike HankeyI am a huge cricket fan and have been following the sport for many years I was recently in Ahmedabad where I watched India win against Pakistan The energy in the stadium was incredible Earlier in October US Ambassador Eric Garcetti was in Mumbai when the International Olympic Committee announced cricket as an Olympic sportIn fact he is instrumental in showcasing cricket for the new audiences in the US Cricket has a fanbase of more than one billion people and with the inclusion in Olympics it will bring more visibility to the sport Things are changing and the US is playing a positive role in this transformationMy pick I am cheering for IndiaJust looking like a wowSouth Korea Aoora Kpop artisteDuring my stay here I have regularly seen cricket being played I also watched the recent game between India and New Zealand It was so exciting and fun I do want to play it somedaySadly I donrsquot think it will ever grow popular in South Korea People hardly know the game The most popular game in the country is football If ever they make it to a tournament it would be the surprise of my life All I would think of is lsquoSo beautiful so elegant just looking like a wowrsquoMy pick I am rooting for my second home mdash IndiaIt brings people togetherThe Netherlands Gwenda Schobert founderCEO DreamersCreators marketing agencyI moved to Mumbai in 2014 and have been in the city since Though I am a football player and fan it is hard to escape cricket Even before moving to India everyone told me that cricket is a religion here It is true in that it unites people There are a lot of Indian expats in the country and even The Netherlands and that influence has helped spread the word aboutthe gameMy pick The buzz is definitely going Indiarsquos wayI love the movement of people in the gameUnited States of America Craig Boehmann photographerAs an American I sometimes find the game confusing What makes me happy is the sight of people in motion I enjoy the idea of watching them take a Sunday off and play the game in every little park and corner of the city It might be strange if America makes it to a cricket tournament although with the Olympics there is a possibility What strikes me is that the US does not have a national team except for soccer or the Olympics around which an entire nation gathers with such passionate intensity That isthe differenceMy pick The chatter is all about Indiarsquos performanceThe passion is differentGermany Felix Hug head of arts Kanakia International SchoolI lived in Namibia for eight years We would go to South Africa once a year where the sport is big I also watched a few games at Trent Bridge inEngland But in 2011 when India won the World Cup I saw the extent of the passion As a German I grew up watching football but cricket has an interesting tactical side The sport is growing in Europe because of the influence from India and EnglandMy pick India is a strong contender South Africa may give them a tough fight though