Fair comment. I think as a game cricket is better watched on TV whereas football is definitely better watched in a ground. There is much more to cricket as a game in terms of tactics and variety (especially Test match cricket) and I think that is why football needs a crowd more to build the spectacle.
You rarely get moments in cricket that are as intense as in footie nor celebrations as mad as when goals go in, but they rely on the crowd in footie like you say.