[Sohel]

I'd say I'm a fairly well traveled person and when traveling, always take an interest in local sports interest and cuisine, but not in that order.

I'd say more people are passionate about cricket in South Asia than any other sport here. Not necessarily because of in depth knowledge of game and its wide array of nuances, but because of national pride. We pretty much suck at every other physically demanding sport on the world stage, and cricket is ideal for us physically because it allows players to stand around. I think we'll also do well in baseball, a hugely popular sport in North and Central America, the Hispanic parts of the Caribbean, and East Asia.

Because cricket is integral to national or community pride in the case of non-subcontinental players of South Asian ancestry no matter where they are, the proverbial Desi wants to play cricket at the highest level.

Cricket outside South Asia is a totally different story. Those nations are great to good at a number of other sports and don't really have cricket at the top of their respective list.

Cricket features prominently in the English media for a variety of reasons related more to tradition, including the literary tradition of cricket, than any actual popularity especially when compared to soccer. It is a subculture in its birthplace albeit a visible one.

Australians, at least when it comes to mass interest, only tend to care about the Ashes and Boxing Day cricket. Aussie Rules, Rugby, Soccer and even Swimming attracts way bigger crowds regularly. New Zealand is all about rugby.

In South Africa, most Whites and Biracial people (recognized as the distinct "Colored" race there) are into Rugby while most Blacks are into soccer. In Namibia, Kenya and Uganda, cricket is played and appreciated by a miniscule country club elite.

West Indies is comprised of many nations in and around the Caribbean and track and field is really big there. Many of their track and field athletes end up going to the US on athletic scholarships and end up playing popular American professional sports such as basketball, football and baseball. Only in Guyana and T&T with their huge Indo-Caribbean population, and the country clubs catering to the sociopolitical elite in Jamaica, Barbados and Antigua we see great interest in the sport. A formidable literary tradition adds to that interest.

Now looking at up and coming countries like Ireland, Scotland and Holland outside DesiWorld, we see sports like Hurling, Soccer and Golf, Soccer and a wide variety of sports from ice skating to cycling trump cricket.

All that being said, cricket fans are a passionate bunch no matter where they are or how small the their cricket subculture may measure up in size. Of course the same can be said of the Kendo or Aikido subculture in California and elsewhere.

I agree with the OP wholeheartedly that cricket is definitely a Desi thang, but do feel that if cricket were to become an Olympic event, we'll face serious competition from sports crazy, athletic nations like China, Korea, Japan and Germany, all hellbent on winning Olympic medals. I just hope "our cricket" doesn't become what "our hockey" has already become if and when that happens.