The development and promotion of cricket culture in India has been a fascinating journey, reflected beautifully by the contrasts drawn from different aspects of social life. This can be attributed to the fact that the game which was inherited by Indians from the English became so engraved and deep rooted in the blood of Indians.
However, this inheritance did not come easy. Under colonial rule, a diverse country like India had to face obstacles in the form of caste, race and religion barriers which essentially proved to be the essence of the development of cricket culture in India.
Cricket is recorded as having been played in India as early as 1721. The British soldiers used to play it among themselves in their bungalows and in their cantonments as a leisure activity. The Parsi community of Bombay was the first one to take on the game in India which was then joined by other communities, such as Hindus, who started playing in a spirit of competitive communalism since they had a long running rivalry with the Parsees.
This was the first instance of communal conflict on the lines of which Cricket started developing in the country.
Muslims too joined and soon the organization of sport was boosted by the formation of Parsi, Hindu and Muslim Gymkhanas. Cricket was starting to prosper in the country with a lot of talented cricketers being recruited from various parts of the country by these clubs to represent them in various tournaments such as the ‘Pentangular’ and ‘Quadrangular’.
Importance of Quadrangular Tournament
The tournament was popular not only amongst the players but also amongst the fans who would follow it with complete dedication and passion. This played a very prominent role in building a culture where cricket did not just remain a leisure activity but one that was becoming a part of their life.
The quadrangular tournament initially started in Bombay, soon spread out to other states such as Nagpur and Delhi.
Though being very active in promoting cricket in the country, the tournaments which were being organized in the country were affected by ‘communalism’ with teams composed on the basis of caste, ethnic group, race and religion. Hatred and violence among castes were also incited by matters of clothing, where Parsi players ridiculed the Hindus for their dress code and style of play.
The Caste Angle
Caste based discrimination has not only been a regular feature of the Indian society but has been plaguing Indian sports as well. When the game of cricket started to gain popularity, it was only the upper caste members of the society who had the privilege to be associated with it.
It was in 1880 when Nagendraprasad Sarbadhikary (Leading Bengali social reformer and sporting patron of the late 19th century) who belonged to an orthodox Hindu family raised his voice against the prevalent caste-based discrimination in cricket. The richer members protested against his actions but he was determined and refused to buckle under the pressure.
The year 1890 saw another such revolution where an attempt was made to remove the caste based barriers from cricket when the Palwankar brothers - Shivram, Ganpat, Vithal and Baloo came to the scene. Palwankar Baloo, a slow left-arm spin bowler and a ‘lower caste’ personnel by birth was inducted into the upper caste Hindu team solely on the basis of his performance.
He and his brothers were all naturally gifted cricketers and their talent was recognized by the Bombay Gymkhana who was quick in recruiting them to represent their side.
Also Read: When Cricket Triumphed Over Caste - The Story of Palwankar Baloo, India's first cricket hero
Despite being the best performers for Hindus, Baloo and his brothers did not get the same treatment on the matters related to outside the field. They were not treated well by their teammates who used their services to win matches against the Parsees and Europeans. This continued for some time after which a few cricketers supported by the press, pushed for making Baloo or any of his brothers, captain of the team.
This suggestion did not go well with the high-class Hindus for whom it would be a disgrace to play under the leadership of a person of low caste. After a long revolution and fight, Baloo’s younger brother, Vithal was appointed as the captain of the team.
The story of Baloo brothers brings out one of the most significant developments in the maturity of the game over years where for the first time caste barriers were removed. What began as a contest on the communal lines and caste divide, cricket was finally maturing itself against the odds in the form of caste and race.
Religion Aspect
Not many would have thought that the game of cricket in the country will be played with much harmony after breaking caste barriers. But when it was happening, the nation and cricket found itself hooked in another controversy of religion. Exclusion of Muslims along with increasing pressure to form their own, separate teams possessed a threat to the national unity.
This came to be the reason for a strong opposition to the Pentangular tournament which was being played on the communal lines.
The Bombay Pentangular faced sharp criticism from all around. However, it found support from the die-hard cricket lovers and the Hindu Gymkhana. The increased debate as to the continuation or discontinuation of the tournament brought out a very significant and notable instance of die-hard cricket following.
Amidst all the debates, the stadiums were always full for the match with people of all castes and religion enjoying the tournament with zeal and enthusiasm.
It could be termed as significant because there were instances of a Muslim supporter applauding the shot of a Hindu with the same enthusiasm as a Hindu. It was as though cricket had been successful in uniting the nation inside the area of the stadium, however different the story maybe outside.
The year 1934 saw the introduction of the Ranji Trophy which was based on the province/region format. This was a major step to move away from caste and religion based Cricket.
It is pertinent to note here that allowing Cricket in India to continue on communal lines and caste based division would have hindered the process of developing a passionate Cricket culture. Cricket became a unifying force in the country during the freedom of movement which established the base for India becoming a Cricket super power in the future years.
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