‘Play for the badge’ for a team that is about 5 minutes old haha
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Yeah that or Asian girls with cute little bangable faces
Come on keeper! Fuck sake.
Pure filth
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Don’t know about that. What about people who make their name in sports that are nowhere near as well supported money wise.
I mean there’s probably a football team of sorts on every kids doorstep.
Kid into cycling or athletics to name two will find access to that much harder.
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I guess the point will still stand that they’ll have much less competition compared to those that play football.
Exactly.
The most meritocratic industry around.
No wonder moron toff journalists from one of the least meritocratic industries always go after them.
Hmm I agree but I think this is UK specific. This would massively underplay the intensity and numbers of competition in East Asia and the subcontinent for sports like table tennis and cricket. Would be the same for many sports in the US. Competition for NBA must be outrageous.
To make it to the Indian mens cricket team today in a cricket mad country of over a billion people is a bigger achievement than many making it to many nations football teams if we follow this same logic.
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Have to agree to disagree as I’m still putting elite sportsmen or women in one category.
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Football is certainly the global sport, as much as I love cricket it doesn’t compare even when you consider the fact it’s the national game in India.
For all intents and purposes the popularity of the sport is actually declining in this place too. Football is growing demand in its place
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There’s no comparison and it’s a really shit point. Football is far and away the biggest global sport in terms of participation, international audience and whatnot. Using cricket in India as a counter point is just stupid.
They’re also not even close to being elite athletes in the vein of football players. The sheer level of conditioning required to play at any level, the intensity of the sport and the volume of games shits all over cricket
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The demand Kohli goes through over say Messi or Ronaldo doesn’t pale in comparison lol
Not to say it’s an unreal achievement to get to his place but to be the best in football is another level
Other sportsmen clearly would though and Kohli clearly shits over a ton of football players not named Messi or Ronaldo.
Conditioning / physically - yes. Athletically, footballers are amongst the most impressive.
However, from a mental / emotional toughness point of view - cricketers are comparable with any sport you care to mention.
The concentration levels required to be a cricket player of Kohli’s level is absolutely unreal. I suppose if you’ve never played the sport then it’s hard to appreciate the focus needed and the nerves you have to deal with as a batsman. At the very highest level, it’s quite astonishing the ease with which elite batsmen are able to cope with the pressure they are put under.
F1 drivers are also simply incredible from a mental / concentration point of view.
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From a conditioning point of view pro cyclists are just as tough as anyone. Obviously the grand tour winners usually weigh about 60kg so don’t look impressive but to grind the way they do day after day on a grand tour is simply incredible.
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I would wager without question that hockey (ice) players at the very top are far better athletes than footballers. They have to wear pads that weigh them down, skate around fast as hell (takes more energy than running and more stress on your body with the stopping and starting) they are constantly hit and knocked around. They fight. They play minimum 82 games a season, and sure they roll on and off with line changes but they are physical monsters, even the slimmer guys.
If they reach the playoffs that’s a potential further 28 games they have to play, all while travelling thousands and thousands of miles a season.
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If it is competition we are talking about, Indian cricket is by far one of the most competitive. Every kid plays cricket, every street is a cricket pitch, you won’t find a single Indian who can’t play Cricket to an appreciable level. Even fat old fucks can play decent.
I also agree with @Sol that it takes huge amount of nerves to stand there waiting for the next ball when you have to score 13 runs from 6 balls.
Every 20-20 ends up being a nerve wrecking affair.
Football however is just a different beast from physicality point of view.
Cricketers won’t survive a single half of football playing at the pace needed in PL. Seen chubby cricketers have a career.