Name: Md.

Reza-E-Rabbi Ornab

Id: 1530364030

Subject: Assignment on Unpopularity of football over cricket in Bangladesh.

Section: 12

Date: 18/05/2020

Submitted To

Nasrin Pervin
Table of Content

Contexts Page no.

Abstract 2
Introduction 3
Background 4-5
Research Question 5
Hypothesis 6
Research Methodology 6
Data Analysis 7-11
Research Findings 11-12
Limitation 12
Recommendation 13
Conclusion 13
Work Cites 14

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Abstract

This research has been conducted to analyze why the popularity of cricket in Bangladesh
overtaking the popularity of football in Bangladesh and why the sports lovers are moving from
watching football to cricket at a massive rate and why most of the population are not keen to
watch the football in our country. The unpopularity of football relative to the cricket is at its
alarming state. Most of the people in our country find cricket more attractive to watch whereas
very few number of people actually watches football. Moreover there are some drawbacks in
football in our country as a result people don’t want to watch football and prefer to watch cricket
more.

As the days are passing by cricket is getting more and more popular and it is getting its full
attraction from its viewers. This research will focus on the preferences of games of the people of
Bangladesh and what is making cricket watching more superior than watching football in our
country. In this research paper I am going to discuss about the overall situation of these two
sport.

My hypothesis is based on why sports lover especially the young supporters prefer to watch
cricket rather than football. So, this research will provide an overall insight about the current
situation by collecting relative context and by analyzing those facts and public opinion and
moreover how such event occurs in our country and the history of those game and How this
games come into our country and getting so famous day by day.

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Introduction

Now a day’s cricket in Bangladesh is more than just a game it is an emotion of Bangladeshi
people. Cricket started its journey in Bangladesh in 1976 with a cricket club named MCC that
came to play with our country. And football is introduced in Bangladesh after 14 years after
cricket is introduced in 1990s. Although it was started in 1940.

Bangladesh had a history of football before the independence like 1940s. On that time league
football was very famous. There were a lot of football clubs in Dhaka. In Bangladesh we can say
that football is less famous than cricket because of various reasons. Everything comes with a
reason. Behind the unpopularity of football over cricket in Bangladesh has big reason behind.
Cricket is one of the popular games in our country with its huge viewers and followers. One of
the main reasons of unpopularity of football over cricket in our country is that our cricket team is
part of the international cricket and with one of the greatest players and all-rounders like Shakib-
Al Hasan, Mashrafe Mortaza, Mustafizur Rahman, Mushfiqur Rahim, and Others on the other
hand we hardly know the football players of our country. Being the international Players our
cricket teams have won many international matches and got many great victories for our country.
On the other hand our Football teams doesn’t have any of these remarkable victories over these
years. Moreover recently Bangladesh U19 team have won the under19 world cup in T20 for the
first time in Bangladesh history. Bangladesh has achieved inconceivable success in world cricket
compared to the trifling negligible success achieved in football. This reflects the reason behind
the differences between the popularities of both games. The fan following in Bangladesh cricket
is humongous compared to any other sports in Bangladesh. Many hardcore cricket fans tends to
almost attend the every cricket matches of Bangladesh whether it is in Bangladesh or in abroad

My research concept will be to focus on the reasons what makes cricket rule over football and I
will provide an overall insight about the current and past situation by collecting relative context
and by analyzing on those facts and public opinion and how such event occurs in our country.

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Background

Most of the population in our county loves to watch cricket even love to play cricket rather than
playing football or any other sports. Every cricket fans recalls the great victories achieved by our
cricket teams whereas the Football was a popular sport in the past than Cricket in our country but
the remarkable progress in Bangladesh cricket team makes cricket to jump over the football and
the lack of good players in Bangladesh football teams compare to the international players also
cause unpopularity in sports in Bangladesh. On the hand, Bangladesh cricket team has world
class batsman and bowlers over the years. When Bangladesh was a part of Pakistan they had
participated in first class and test cricket.

The Shortest Version of matches in crickets are longer than any football matches and this short
version is called T20. This approximately 3 to 4 hour on average to finish .in that time we can
play 2 football matches, this is another reason for cricket to win the attraction of the sport lover
because the getting more entertainment rather than the football matches. More over the nerve
racking last few overs in cricket matches are the best part in any cricket matches because the
outcome can change the whole match around, which makes it more interesting to watch unlike
the football matches.

Emergence of BPL is another big reason cricket being so popular in our cricket. Bangladesh
Premier League was started in 2012 with the teams of 7 selected by the BCB. It is the most
popular T20 league in the world. The combination of entertainment and sport has been a huge hit
our country. Not only Bangladeshi players but also many other foreign players get the exclusive
chances to play in BPL. Names of the renowned and good players are called in the auction.
Moreover our cricket players participates in other countries premier leagues and matches. For
this matches our players get sold with high bids.

Bangladesh Cricket fan following is much bigger than Football and is holding a strong position
over the years. They give us some victorious moment. The game can connect feeling of their fan
With the game. Those are the exact reason that make football unpopular than cricket in
Bangladesh. Cricket has always been and will be in our hearts not only because of the popularity

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of the game not because of the cricket stars but because of the support and love we get from the
cricket teams.
Yet we talked about the past situation of the football teams and the cricket teams now it’s high
time we should highlight on the present situation. Now a days not only Bangladesh but the entire
world is facing serious coronavirus outbreak. 
We get see that our cricket stars has come forwards to help controlling the situation. As we are a
poor country we are facing acute food and livelihood crisis. Bangladesh cricket team is donating
food as a gift to those who are in need of food. 
Mashrafi Bin Mortoza has set up an auction to sell his favorite bat and bracelet which he is been
wearing for 16 years. He managed to sell it in a auction for 4.2 million Bdt. But we it is a matter
of joy that the company who’s been able to buy it has gifted that bracelet back as a gift.
So it is clear that we have very close relationship with the cricket team of Bangladesh. Shaking
Al Hasan sold his favorite bat for 2.0 million and last but least Mushfiqur Rahim has also sold
his bat for 1.7 Million just to stand by the People who are in greater need of food and other
things. On the other hand our football team haven’t been able to show any kind of good gesture
towards our country may be because of their own capabilities.

Research Question

1. Do Football Players play their matches as professionally as the cricket players do?

2. What Are reasons that cricket in Bangladesh has gained utmost popularity in recent
times?

3. How Bangladesh cricket team gained recognition and popularity in both home country
and internationally and why people from other countries respect our players?

4. What are the reason behind we don’t even know the players of the football players in our
country?

5. Why Football that once was a very popular game has become so unpopular in
Bangladesh?

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Hypothesis

The preference of watching crickets over footballs is not a major concern but still these popular
gaming is being ignored by us over the past years. From my opinion I think we are not showing
enough concern to improve quality of playing football matches like Bangladesh government is
showing many appreciated approaches towards the cricket board of Bangladesh. Government of
Bangladesh should also give such appreciation and motivation and better opportunities to
improve our football. The Continuous advancement of the Bangladesh cricket team which is
completely opposite to the comparison of Bangladesh football team takes all the credits.

Personally in my opinion this is a major concept that can make a drastic change in favor of
football team of our country. We should give a great attention in improving football also by
investing our efforts, money, dedication and more, hiring good coach etc. Because Bangladesh
have the opportunity to give a quality performance in world stages like the cricket do all the
time. They just want the proper guidance and some motivation from our government. By doing
these we can get through the bad time in football of our country. Also for the people of our
country we should support them a lot. We can support them by seeing the matches, going to the
gallery to see the matches live. It will help the player mentally. We also should cheer up for our
country player that will make them more dedicated for football of our country.

Research Methodology

I have completed my research relying on the Both Primary and secondary sources of the
information. For my Primary information I have conducted a survey and asked relative question
and interviewed to know what they think from their prospective. From my survey, I managed to
get 32 random respondents who answered the question of my surveyed questions.

In my secondary research process, I was completely dependent on the internet’s articles and
journals, newspapers.

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Data Presentation and Analysis

For completing the report I have conducted a survey and worked on a group of 32 random
respondents who has passion in sports. In my survey there were eight close questions and two
open questions which were related to my hypothesis. I have represented those data by graph,
chart table which is called frequency counting data. In the case of qualitative data, I have taken
observation method. I have collected my samples and put it them into a quantitative form so that
I can represent it as a percentage form. The survey helped me to find the answers of the research
questions and it also help me to confirm my hypothesis whether it is right or wrong. Most
importantly, my hypothesis is proved right because the result of my survey is in the favor of my
hypothesis.

My Survey Report is given down below:

1. Football team never really did something significant like Bangladesh cricket team. Why?

My first question was asked for why Football team in Bangladesh don’t have anything
remarkable like Bangladesh cricket teams. I have surveyed 32 random respondents from online
and they were given these three options that we can see in the graph. And as per the graph 70
percent of the respondents says that they think that the football team players have lack of serious

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passion and dedication towards their game.

2. The reason of the recent success of Bangladesh cricket team is?

The second question I asked was what reason behind the cricket team success in Bangladesh.
Again from among the 32 respondents, with the highest rate of 87.10 percent, respondents thinks
that our cricket team have some of the greatest players in the history of Bangladesh.

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3. Football players don’t play their matches as professionally as cricket players. Do you
agree?

One of the most important question for my research paper was to find out whether football
players play their matches as professionally as our cricket teams do. Almost 68 percent
respondents thinks that football players in our country do not as professionally as our cricket
players.

32%

Yes No
68%

4. If yes, which reason could be behind this statement?

The survey question was an open-ended question. In this question the respondents were asked
what the reason behind the unprofessionalism of football team is. Most of the respondents thinks
lack of dedication in playing their games is the main reason behind it.

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5. Cricket in Bangladesh has gained utmost popularity in recent times. Why? (You can
choose more than one).

In this question the respondents were asked why in recent time cricket in Bangladesh has gained
upmost popularity. Most of the respondents, almost 44% thinks that cricket has gained its
popularity in recent time because of players like Ashraful, tamim Iqbal, Shakib AL hasan ,
Mashrafi Bin Mortaza and so on.

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6. I don’t even recognize many of the football players in Bangladesh. Which reason
could be for not recognizing them?

In this question the respondents were asked why most of the people in Bangladesh don’t even the
football players and what are the reason? Most of the respondents thinks that we have little
opportunities to see the national matches of footballs.

7. Football team never really did something significant like Bangladesh cricket team.
Why?

From my survey 72.2% of the respondents think that because of lack of good coaching
opportunities football haven’t been able to show anything significant like the cricket team of
Bangladesh

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Research Findings

According to my survey questionnaire 70 percent of the people show negative popularity

compare to cricket as football team as they haven’t been able to achieve remarkable victory for
the country not even for the team. On the other hand Bangladesh is a member of international
cricket council it’s a big achievement for the cricket team of Bangladesh. But in football
Bangladesh did trying out for FIFA but the player isn’t not just good enough for international
matches.

Our cricket team greatest players and rising cricket stars hold massive fan followers and because
of players like Mashrafe Mortoza, Shakib-AL Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman, Mushfiqur Rahmanan
and Mahmudullah Riyad etc. majority of the people thinks that our cricket is shining bright and
achieving pride on the behalf of the nation. Our cricket team’s training, dedication and
motivation gives far more positive outcomes. In football Bangladesh also have some great player
like jamal bhuyan,mehedi hasan,mahbubur rahaman. But it is a matter of great sorrow that most
of the people in our country hardly know their names. In Contrast with our cricket teams there is
big lack of dedication, motivation and may be training of the players. And those thing drag
backwards the football of our country

Day by day Cricket team is improving its performance new players are showing their unique
styles of balling and batting and on the other hand football is at a slower pace of improving their

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performance or quality of playing matches. Because they play less matches comparison to
cricket. I also find an issue in my research that in Bangladesh the budget for football is a lot
lesser than our cricket teams in Bangladesh, for that reasons they suffer from the lack of
facilities. Moreover the sponsorship in not up to the mark for our football teams in our country
We also can see that in cricket in Bangladesh a little bit low. On some recent year the
performance in cricket was not so good for Bangladesh cricket team they had lost many ODI
match also test matches. In the cricket of Bangladesh there is a drawbacks in which player
selection in the team of Bangladesh is little bit weak. Bangladesh cricket also had some golden
year like 2014 to 2016 where we get to see some good performances on the behalf of the
Bangladesh cricket team. They had won against Pakistan in 2016 after trying for many years
Football also had some golden periods in Bangladesh. During 1980s to 1990s Bangladesh had
some great winning match and done some great games.

Limitation

As my primary data collection process for my research report, although I had gone through my
survey with 32 random respondents but I had limitation to interview and collect information
from the real knowledgeable respondents. Because not everybody is willing to take these types
surveys that seriously. From my survey I managed to get my asked questions not everybody’s
actual opinion about why they feel football is unpopular than cricket in our country.

To complete my Secondary data collection, I was fully relying on internet based articles,
journals and newspapers as a result I miss the opportunity to cover the internal issues that is
actually causing football being unpopular. Although I have interviewed for my secondary data
collection but my information limited

While making the research report I also face limitation like time issue, People not willing to
respond, they give false information, trouble in collecting secondary data’s.

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Recommendation

To prevent this preference problem in Cricket vs. Football, the only way in my opinion is
government involvement. If our government steps up to create more popularity in football team
of our country, they can create better opportunities to learn, to make them play with dedication
along with motivation. Our government should give a good budget for football in our country it
can help them. They should get good fields for practice. They should go out for performing with
other country for their own experience gathering, for spread the name off our country in football
history. By doing this they can get sponsorship for playing abroad in some famous league like
UEFA league, British league champion league etc.

And I also think that the football team of our country should work on their playing skills and
they should work hard and play with dedication. They should practice a lot and lot. They should
play match a lot for gaining more experience, contacting with the international player for getting
good knowledge about the game and about how to play the game technically. Find is more than a
physical game player should play with their mind. Bangladeshi player have lacking in field
tactics.

Conclusion

From this research paper I can give insight about why people in our country prefer football over
cricket and it is not only popular but also favorite to all. Reasons are clear due to lack of some
sporting advancement in football and lack of concern and motivation those who are actually
good players and dedicated failing to show their actual talent and performance. Cricket is not
only a game in our country it has made an emotional relationship with its viewers whereas
football hasn’t got any of the chance to connect with the people’s heart.

Bangladesh cricket team has achieved many prestigious victories on the behalf our country.
Make our country proud i think this makes cricket far more popular than football in our country.

Work Cites

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 1. Das, S. (21st January, 2020), Top 10 Most Popular Sports in the World,
https://sportsshow.net/top-10-most-popular-sports-in-the-world/

2. Vishal (1st Apr 2020, 17:29 IST), 5 Reasons why cricket is so popular in India,
https://www.sportskeeda.com/cricket/5-reasons-why-cricket-is-so-popular-in-
india-1

3. AmariBangla(December23rd)
https://www.facebook.com/AMRABANGLALI/posts/208355596017489:0
4. Rahman, A. (12:30 AM, July 06, 2018) Bangladesh football: then and now

https://www.thedailystar.net/wide-angle/bangladesh/bangladesh-football-then-and-now-
1600888

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