In so many american countries they dnt even knw that cricket is also a game! In the countries it is play v.few people watch it (except for india and pak) so how can it becum 2nd most popular sport??? I think people watch basketball more than it lol!
India1,210,569,573
Pakistan183,483,000
Bangladesh152,518,015
United Kingdom63,181,775
South Africa52,981,991
Australia23,064,026
Sri Lanka20,277,597
New Zealand4,469,430
Jamaica2,709,300
Trinidad and Tobago1,328,019
Barbados274,200
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines109,000
Antigua and Barbuda86,295
Bermuda (UK)64,237
Saint Kitts and Nevis54,000
Total1,715,170,458
Percentage of world population25%
Your observation that very few watch outside of India and Pakistan is incorrect by the way.
In Sports, Cricket is No doubt the most popular game because, it is equally popular not only in Asia but in Africa and Australia and now in USA and Europe also. It is not imagination but based on real facts. Football is rank. 1 and Cricket is at No. 2. Please analyze your answer globally not by viewing and thinking your own limited area.
Is it really? What's your source? If it is I imagine its largely due to its popularity on the sub-continent. The reason we find it so surprising (I live in New Zealand) is because the U.S.A have the media empire, meaning sports broadcast by American networks are the ones popular there. We then infer that because they get so much coverage, they must be globally popular.