81 All Out

In the latest episode we discuss ideas of loyalty and fandom - with respect to both teams and individual athletes - and dissect various strands of 'belonging' to an imagined community. Buy Cricket Beyond the Bazaar (recently republished by 81allout) India (hardback) | India (paperback, e-copy); Australia (hardback, paperback, e-copy); USA (hardback, paperback, e-copy); UK (hardback, paperback, e-copy); Canada (hardback, paperback, e-copy) Talking Points: The schizophrenic nature of fandom in the franchise age Do you cheer for Kohli when he plays for India and wish for him to fail for RCB? The idea of imagined communities and the spread of nationalism Why does bandwagoning have a bad reputation? Supporting a team versus an individual - and how the first appears more noble The sacred space of fandom - watching as a community v watching alone The live experience v the TV experience - and the vast difference between them The loss of hope in 2000 - when Azhar and Cronje were embroiled in scandal Pa