ABSTRACT
The origin of cricket is unknown, but historians and academics agree that it was an established game in southern England in the 16th century. The Marylebone Cricket Club, established in 1787, is regarded as the guardian of the game and ratifies the alterations to the rules of the game suggested by the International Cricket Council (ICC). Cricket was introduced in the British Empire as a means of ‘civilising’ the population and maintaining legitimacy of authority. Not all colonies embraced the game, but those who did eventually used cricket as a means of defining their national identity as well as defeating the motherland. When the game has been questioned by the critics, it has reinvented itself with the adaptation of new formats and rules every time. This chapter is intended to give readers a brief overview about the history of the game and its global spread.
