Baseball and cricket share many similarities. Both sports involve two opposing teams attempting to score runs after striking a pitched ball. Baseball and cricket each feature innings, outs and many similar strategies, from batting techniques to fielding positioning and pitching styles. Yet despite the common ground, baseball and cricket are two vastly different sports. Deciding which game is "harder" depends on your perspective and the aspect of the game you're looking at.
Batting
In cricket, the batsman swings a bat with a flat front face, making it easier to contact the ball. Baseball players, in contrast, must hit a round ball using a rounded bat, making it far more difficult to square the ball with conviction. Baseball hitters must also keep the ball within the foul lines that run from home plate and extend through first and third base. There are no foul balls in cricket. The batsman can slice, cut or chip the ball sharply to either side or even behind him in an effort to avoid fielders. A cricket batsman can take as many pitches as he wants, so long as the ball doesn't strike the wickets, and he can even hit the ball and choose not to run. Baseball hitters enjoy no such benefits.
Pitching
Baseball pitchers routinely throw the ball upwards of 100 mph and can mix in a wide variety of off-speed and breaking pitches, including curve balls, sliders and change-ups. And they need the extra velocity and trickery because they must directly challenge hitters or risk putting them on base due to walks. In cricket, the pitcher is known as a bowler, and he delivers the ball with an overarm motion and releases the ball with a perfectly straight arm. These requirements greatly reduce the average pitch speed, although cricket bowlers may opt to bounce the ball once on its way to the batsman to add a degree of difficulty. In the end, pitchers and bowlers each face their own unique challenges, with neither group necessarily having a harder time than the other.
Fielders
Baseball players take the field with nine fielders, including the pitcher. Cricket teams have 11 fielders, including the bowler. Yet the additional two fielders don't provide much of an advantage, because the cricket field, with its lack of foul territory, requires fielders to cover far more ground. Cricket rules also prohibit fielders from wearing a glove to catch the ball; they can only use their bare hands. When it comes to fielding, there's no question cricket players have a much harder time of it.
Game Length
The typical baseball game consists of nine innings, with each inning comprised of three outs for the visiting team and three outs for the home team. A cricket match lasts only two innings, but each team's inning runs for 10 outs. While an average baseball game spans three or four hours in length, cricket matches can routinely last a full day or longer, proving a far greater challenge to a player's stamina and mental focus.
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