November 13, 2001

India, not Lord's, is the mecca of cricket

- Jonathan Dyson

As it happens, I am not the first person from Yorkshire to come to India with a camera and a notebook, and the intention of satisfying a deep curiosity about a country obsessed with cricket.

The photo-journalist Emma Levine, formerly based in Hong Kong and originally from Bradford in West Yorkshire, visited India, along with Pakistan and Sri Lanka, in 1995 to observe the street, beach and maidan cricket that is as much a true symbol of the subcontinent as the stunning architecture and poverty so often portrayed by the western media.

She wrote two books about her journey. "Cricket: A Kind of Pilgrimage" is full of gloriously evocative photos of scenes ranging from the streets of Old Delhi to the beaches of Galle. The second book, "Into the Passionate Soul of Subcontinental Cricket," is a diary that accompanies the picture book.

That I find myself, six years on, following in Emma's footsteps is perhaps not a coincidence. As in India, cricket is a way of life in Yorkshire, although certainly not to the same extent. It is a game embedded in its long and proud history, and is still played with a fierce and uncompromising will to win by schoolboys and county players alike.

It is a curious anomaly in a country where enthusiasm for cricket has been visibly declining for several years. Astonishingly, a fifth of all amateur cricket played in England is played in Yorkshire. And in my home town of Easingwold, which lies north of York, cricket is a more popular sport than football, England's real passion.

So as I wander, full of awe and joy, through the streets of India, watching the groups of boys enthusiastically honing their skills, and chatting with Indian fans about the forthcoming Test series, I realise that my journey here really is a kind of pilgrimage; for me, India, not Lord's, is the mecca of cricket.

When I was eleven, India were simply the team who happened to be on the receiving of Graham Gooch's 333 at Lord's in 1990. As a young boy then, cricket meant only three things: a great game to play, the Yorkshire team and the England team. I gave little thought to the sides England were pitted against, and even less to what these countries were actually like.

But inevitably, as I grew up and my mind broadened, and I eventually found myself at university, surrounded by people from across the globe, I came to appreciate other cultures, and a desire to visit India was formed. The idea in particular of travelling to a country so besotted with cricket sounded like paradise to me. So far I have not been disappointed.

This week I travel to Mumbai in time for England's first warm-up match against the MCA President's XI on 18th November. Yet, in all honesty, I am not looking forward to this as much as strolling through the famous Azad Maidan. From what I have read, no other part of India symbolises its love affair with cricket quite as vividly. (I would be curious to hear from anyone who feels that their local area is a more potent emblem). For me, it really will be a dream come true to see it.

My research into Indian cricket will focus on four areas: the games played on the streets and in the maidans, schools cricket, club cricket, and the domestic scene. Please e-mail me if you would be happy for me to visit your school, club or local ground. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

GE Features

Earlier Diaries:
A Backpacker's Diary
Bowled over by the great Bedi Agonising uncertainty!

Mail Jonathan Dyson

Illustration: Bijoy Venugopal