Cricket World Cup 2023: Betting companies such as Sportsbet lose as Australia win final against India against all odds
“A sporting win certainly gives some credibility to a governing party,” said Binoy Kampmark, senior lecturer in the School of Global, Urban and Social Studies at RMIT University in Australia. “And it helps that it is cricket, considered India’s national sport.”
The game came amid Indian hopes to host the Olympics for the first time in 2036. Cricket will be formally included in the Olympics in 2028 in Los Angeles. However, India’s bid could be undermined by criticism of India’s hosting of the Cricket World Cup, with problems including last-minute scheduling and chaotic ticketing processes. Air pollution in India’s cities has been another big concern, as cricketers either cancelled training sessions or had to use inhalers.
Meanwhile, global interest in cricket continues to spread. The sport is now drawing interest from Saudi Arabia, Bloomberg News reported this month. The Board of Control for Cricket in India has become one of the richest sporting bodies in the world, as the $US6.2 billion ($9.5 billion) Indian Premier League tournament has catapulted the commercial success of the game globally.
