The Diffusion and Colonial Domestications of Cricket:Perspective from Global History of Sports

Modern cricket originated from Britain. With the expansion of the British Empire, English cricket spreadto South Asia,Mid-South America, Australia, North America and South Africa colonies, which made a global cricket circle in the 19^th century. The article explored the diverse historical results of cricket spread by the cases of cricket colonization in India and other British colonies with the concepts of global history of sports. Conclusively, the process of cricket diffusion was more than dominated by the governors from England. Through colonized recreation, including autonomic adaptation, utilization and reformation, the original English cricket was transformed into varied colonial domesticated sports. The making of global cricket netcame from the long-term interactions in the British colonial system. The interpretation to the diffusion of modern cricket in the light of global history of sports may overcome the limitations of“western centrism”. The variety of sports traditions should be respected and the exchange as well as the mutual learning among global sports cultures should be promoted. Those were the historical lessons inspired from the perspective of a human community of shared future.