Is Cricket’s Profile in the UK Growing or Stagnating?

Cricket is one of the most popular sports in the United Kingdom, and it’s up there with Football, Rugby Union, Tennis, Athletics, Snooker, and Motor Racing in terms of popularity, but just how popular is it?

Let’s dive straight in to discover if cricket’s profile in the UK is growing or stagnating. 

Is cricket becoming more popular in the United Kingdom, or are things starting to stagnate?

According to research that was published in 2023 by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), cricket is now more popular than ever in the United Kingdom. 

They reported growth in several areas, especially in the number of cricket fans there are today. There are also more people playing cricket at all levels. 

Additionally, more people are attending matches in person, and more people than ever are tuning in to watch domestic and international cricket matches on television or via their favourite sports streaming services. 

In other words, the ‘health’ of cricket, according to the research, couldn’t be better and looks to be in pretty good shape. 

People over the age of 18 are also now placing more bets than ever on Cricket, Football, Rugby Union, Tennis, Athletics, Snooker, and Motor Racing from their smartphones, desktop computers, and laptops at fully licensed and regulated iGaming sites. 

What are the biggest domestic and international cricket competitions people in the UK enjoy watching?

Cricket fans across the United Kingdom have plenty of cricket leagues and tournaments to keep them occupied throughout the year. Some of the biggest national cricket competitions in the UK are the following:

• T20 Blast
• County Championship
• The Hundred
• Charlotte Edwards Cup
• Royal London One-Day Cup
• Rachel Heyhoe Flint Trophy

The biggest international cricket competitions from across the globe that UK fans also enjoy watching are the following:

• ICC T20 World Cup
• Cricket World Cup
• ICC World Test Championship
• ICC Women’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup
• ICC Women’s T20 World Cup
• Under-19 Cricket World Cup
• ICC Champions Trophy
• Women’s Cricket World Cup

When is the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, and who will most likely come out on top?

Edition nine of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is scheduled to run from June 1, 2024, until June 29. Matches will be held at venues between the two host nations – the United States and West Indies. 

A total of 55 matches will be played between 20 cricketing nations, and the best way to find out which team will most likely come out on top this year would be to check the latest odds. 

The current favourite to win the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is India, although it’s still far too early to say who might actually win this year. Let’s take a closer look at their current odds and compare them with some of the other favourites:

• Team: India (odds-on favourite to win the T20 World Cup). Fractional odds: 11/4 (which is 3.75 in decimal odds, or +275 in American/moneyline odds). Implied probability rate (IPR): 26.70%. 
• Team: India (second odds-on favourite to win the T20 World Cup). Fractional odds: 3/1 (which is 4.00 in decimal odds, or +300 in American/moneyline odds). IPR: 25.00%. 
• Team: South Africa. Fractional odds: 6/1 (which is 7.00 in decimal odds, or +600 in American/moneyline odds). IPR: 14.30%. 

The two teams LEAST likely to win are Canada and Uganda. Both teams are currently priced at around 2,500/1 (2,501.00, or +250,000), meaning they have a ZERO (0%) chance of winning. 

Final note

Some of the other key findings in the ECB report found that cricket attendance reached over 2.9 million last year, and over 13 million people now describe themselves as cricket fans (approx 1.2 million children and 11.8 million adults). 

The research also found that up to 2.6 million people played cricket, an increase from the previous year, and women’s and girls’ crickets are also both more popular than ever.