As someone who grew up in mud and all kinds of filth while playing in a (stereo)typical Indian city, I have to say this makes sense. We kids were just left to play by themselves for hours at a time while we made merry in the dirtiest streets. Nobody was “clean”. There were open drains everywhere and let’s just say that a ball going into those drains never stopped an exciting game of gully cricket.
And, this was most of India not just us.