#but in the year of our lord 2013. white khan. and not just ANY white khan. benedict cumberbacth

[bmpmp3]

sorry to every star trek fan on earth that whenever i even think about the star trek reboot movies i will inevitably go on a 20 minute long rant about white khan

[alexllove-blog]

Although it rained the night before, it’s done little to cool the air. Even at 9am, the sun is already blazing down. The thermometer shows 39 degrees Celsius and is poised to climb further. It’s Easter, so the schools are closed, and there’s a snaking queue at the ticket counter of Ramoji Film City (RFC), on the southeastern edge of Hyderabad, in the Indian state of Telangana.

The set of popular Telugu mythological TV series Sri Bhagavatam

Sprawled across 810 hectares, RFC features in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest film studio complex in the world, specialising in Telugu-language cinema. It’s widely visited by movie buffs from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the two southern Indian states that share Telugu as their main language. If that sounds niche, Telugu is in fact one of the 22 major languages in India, ranked third in the country by number of native speakers. Moreover, according to US-based publication Ethnologue, it’s also the 12th-most spoken language in the world, with 82 million speakers.

Introducing Tollywood

It makes sense then that, as well as being a working film studios, RFC is one of the most popular tourist attractions in India, welcoming around 1.5 million domestic and international tourists each year. On any average day, the studios see a footfall of 2,500 visitors. During last year’s summer holidays, it topped 16,000 in a single day. The crowds come for a chance to wander through the sets of their favourite films and shows, with secret hopes of catching famous actors at work.

Models of trains and vintage cars from the props department

Also known as Tollywood, this strand of Indian cinema dedicated to producing movies in Telugu may not be as well-known internationally as Bollywood, but a handful of its past deliveries have seen it go toe-to-toe with its Mumbai-based cousin, in terms of budgets and box office numbers. A recent example is 2017’s Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, the second of two period films that follow a young villager who discovers his royal heritage and saves his fictional kingdom in medieval India.

“Entertainment is the only mantra in Telugu films; they spend lavishly on costumes, sets, special effects, action scenes and musical scores”

This lavish production, shot entirely at RFC, cost INR2.5 billion (S$49 million) to shoot and went on to capture worldwide attention. A dubbed version was the highest-grossing Hindi movie of all time. Also made available in Tamil, Malayalam, Japanese, Russian and Chinese, the film grossed INR18.1 billion (S$353 million) at the box office worldwide. Buoyed by its success, there have been a series of even more ambitious Telugu productions in the works, including one titled RRR, from Baahubali director SS Rajamouli. Another action movie, this time set in pre-Independence India, the film will cost INR4 billion (S$78 million) and is set for release next year. Sci-fi action thriller Saaho, featuring Baahubali star Prabhas, is coming to cinemas on 15 August this year and cost more than INR3 billion (S$58.5 million) to make. Needless to say, both films were shot at RFC.

Remnants of the Baahubali set

A cinematic visit

Beyond the ticket counter and after a brief security check, I join the visitors to get into a bright red, vintage-style, hop-on-hop-off coach that will take us around the complex. Each coach seats about 25 visitors and includes a guide who points out the different landmarks where iconic scenes of popular films were shot.

Our coach makes its first stop at Eureka, a huge courtyard that acts as the entry area into five major attractions. Designed to mimic with white marbled floors, lavish staircases and landscaped gardens, the threshold to this cinematic town hints at what lies ahead.

Princess Street is one of the many urban city sets in RFC

Despite Telugu cinema’s long history dating back to its first silent feature film in 1921, it was only in the early 1990s that the Telugu Film Industry (TFI) completely shifted base to Hyderabad, as major Telugu producers started setting up their own sets and studios in the state capital. RFC was founded in 1996 by film mogul and producer Cherukuri Ramoji Rao.

Recognising the need for an infrastructure of pre-designed sets and ambience, Rao shaped RFC while at the peak of his career “to provide comprehensive filmmaking facilities under one roof,” explains RFC vice president AV Rao. “The tourism potential was only realised in later years when people expressed a desire to have a glimpse of where their favourite films were made.”

Entrance to the five live shows in RFC

According to Rao, over 2,600 films in various languages have been shot at RFC so far. There are around 50 shooting floors, the largest being the size of two football fields. RFC also has dedicated departments for set construction, props, craft services and camera and lighting rental.

Back at Eureka, I find shade under a flowering bougainvillea, as traditional Rajasthani music floods the open compound and early visitors fill in. At 9.45am, the music switches to a more energetic number as two wooden plank-doors leading to the Central Court start to ancient Indian forts and palaces, complete swing open and a group of dancers dressed in golden costumes and ornate jewellery appear to draw in the mass of visitors.

A hop-on-hop-off coach takes you around the film city

“Which way is Fundustan?” A hassled parent with two young children in tow breaks the calm that descends after the music stops. Our guide, a burly man in his forties, directs them towards the themed children’s play area, where thrilling rides and fascinating games await. Adjacent to it is Borasura, a spine-chilling walk-through designed as a magician’s workshop.

Globalising entertainment

Largely devoted to mainstream filmmaking with a wide commercial appeal, Tollywood has in recent years shed its regional character, delivering colossal productions that are dubbed in multiple languages worldwide. “Entertainment is the only mantra in Telugu films. They spend lavishly on costumes, sets, special effects, action scenes and musical scores,” enthuses Himavati Kurup, a college student from Coimbatore and my fellow passenger in the RFC coach. “And we love watching them.”

Setting up a scene at a pre-designed railway station set

Another college student and amateur filmmaker Venu Nagaraju, who is also on the tour makes another interesting observation. “In most Telugu films, you will see a surprising storyline,” he says. “We, the Telugu people, love fantasy and horror and will lap up any film that gives us these. And if the story is not strong enough to hold your attention, the costumes and sets will definitely do it.”

As we chat, our coach passes by a replica of the Hawa Mahal, the pink palace in Jaipur, a doorway of Fatehpur Sikri – the Mughal city just outside Agra – before driving past rolling, landscaped fields. My fellow passengers raise a cheer whenever our guide names the popular Bollywood and Tollywood films – such as Dilwale (2015) or Mirchi (2013) – that were shot at the locations we pass.

A visitor walks past part of the Baahubali set

The coach pulls to a stop near North City, where permanent sets resemble a suburban neighbourhood in a north Indian town, with multi-storied buildings featuring adorned columns, arched doorways, winding corridors and wooden carvings. A film is being shot inside one of the palatial houses and some of us try to sneak in, only to be pulled back by our guide.

“When a location is rented out for a movie, the producers take over and arrange for props to further dress up the scene. The area then belongs to the producer and we are not supposed to trespass,” he explains.

Guests enjoying a Rajasthani dance performance

As such, visitors are unlikely to witness a film being shot. However, some guests do get lucky and chance upon film stars. R Lakshmana Rao, a Hyderabad businessman on his third RFC visit, shares how he met Bollywood superstar Salman Khan here two years ago. “He was awesome and very humble, and took pictures with us.”

Just down the street are façades of rural village homes that can be found in South India, and around a corner, a street dressed up to look like a generic urban thoroughfare in Europe or the US. Our guide quips: “This is the only place in the world where you can travel from a North Indian city to a South Indian city by crossing a street, and to Europe or America without a passport.”

At these permanent railway sets, the hoardings, letterings and billboards can easily be changed to match the film

The bus halts next at the indoor sets of Sri Bhagavatam, a popular mythological Telugu television series from 2013, based on the life and deeds of Lord Krishna. Diagonally opposite this fantastical set is the façade of a tiny airport, with a huge parking lot. Our guide reveals that the fight scenes from the 2015 Shah Rukh Khan romantic action film Dilwale was shot here.

“This is the only place in the world where you can travel from a North Indian city to a South Indian city by crossing a street, and to Europe or America without a passport.”

“I am here to see the sets of Baahubali,” 75-year-old Manorama Nair from Kochi tells me, pausing for breath as she braves the noon sun while her granddaughters run up the staircases to reach the famous throne. “Baahubali was a great entertainer, and I am curious to know how they made the film. I have read almost every article written about the movie.”

The massive wooden entrance that leads to Central Court

It’s almost past 1pm and I am ravenous. Over the buffet spread at Superstar, one of the most luxurious restaurants in RFC, I reflect on the meaning Telegu cinema holds for its fans. Telugu viewers hold their films and their film personalities in high regard. I think back to the words of Anna Kowalski, a young Polish tourist I met on the coach earlier today. She and her partner were struck by their fellow riders. “We will take back with us the exuberance and craziness of the people here, and how they relate to films as well as they relate to life.”

Indeed cinema here is not just entertainment; it’s a way of life. It’s the high emotion, the grandness of life as it appears in Telugu cinema that pulls people into its fold – and why a visit to RFC is such a draw.

SEE ALSO: Taste of summer: India’s love for mangoes

This article was originally published in the June 2019 issue of Silkwinds magazine

The post On set in Hyderabad at the largest film studio in the world appeared first on SilverKris.

[toldnews-blog]

New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/world/viewpoint-should-britain-apologise-for-amritsar-massacre/

Viewpoint: Should Britain apologise for Amritsar massacre?

Image copyright AFP

Image caption Visitors can inspect a bullet-ridden wall at the site of the massacre

Hundreds of Indians attending a public meeting were shot dead by British troops in the northern Indian city of Amritsar in 1919. Historian Kim Wagner sifts fact from fiction as the UK House of Lords prepares to debate the massacre, including if Britain should apologise.

On 13 April 1919, Sergeant WJ Anderson witnessed first-hand the brutal massacre of hundreds of Indian civilians at Jallianwala Bagh, a public garden in Amritsar city.

“When fire was opened the whole crowd seemed to sink to the ground, a whole flutter of white garments, with however a spreading out towards the main gateway, and some individuals could be seen climbing the high wall,” Anderson later recalled.

“There was little movement, except for the climbers. The gateway would soon be jammed. I saw no sign of a rush towards the troops.”

The Amritsar Massacre of 1919

Inside Amritsar’s massacre gardens

He had served as the bodyguard of Brigadier General RH Dyer, who had rushed to Amritsar a few days earlier to quell what he believed to be a major uprising.

The crowd of more than 20,000 people, however, were not armed rebels. They were local residents and villagers from the surrounding countryside who had come to listen to political speeches or simply to spend a few hours in the gardens.

The crowd comprised Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs. Most were men and young boys, including some infants; only a few women were present.

Image copyright Getty Images

Image caption Brigadier General Dyer rushed to Amritsar to quell what he believed to be a major uprising

When Gen Dyer ordered his troops to cease firing, Jallianwala Bagh resembled a battlefield strewn with corpses. Between 500 and 600 people were killed, and probably three times as many wounded. The exact numbers will never be known for certain but the official death count, reached months later, was just 379.

In recent years, much of the public debate has focused on calls for a formal British apology – the demand has been led by, among others, Indian politician and author Shashi Tharoor.

Amritsar massacre families: Cameron ‘should have said sorry’

Queen Elizabeth II visited the memorial at Jallianwala Bagh in 1997 and then Prime Minister David Cameron visited in 2013 – both showed their respect yet carefully avoided making an actual apology.

In December 2017, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, nevertheless urged the British government to make just such a gesture during his own visit to Amritsar.

“I am clear that the government should now apologise, especially as we reach the centenary of the massacre. This is about properly acknowledging what happened here and giving the people of Amritsar and India the closure they need through a formal apology,” he said.

Image copyright AFP

Image caption On his 2013 visit, Cameron avoided making an actual apology but said the massacre was “deeply shameful”

Exactly what happened at Jallianwala Bagh, however, remains unclear, and a century later, the actual circumstances of the massacre are still shrouded in myth and misconceptions.

There are, for instance, people, often with a nostalgic attachment to the Empire, who still insist that Gen Dyer only opened fire as a final resort when the crowd ignored his warning to disperse – even though the general himself was quite clear that he gave no such warning.

Similarly, the idea that the shooting was necessary and prevented much worse violence conveniently ignores the fact that Indian riots in April 1919 were in each and every case precipitated by British actions.

Do Indians care about the British any more?

Factual inaccuracies are also to be found at the Jallianwala Bagh memorial today. Among other things, a sign claims that 120 bodies of the victims of the massacre were recovered from what has become known as the Martyrs’ Well. It’s believed that many people jumped into the well to escape the bullets.

But there is no evidence for this story, which appears to be based on a mix-up with the infamous well at Kanpur city, where the bodies of British women and children were disposed after a massacre in 1857.

Visual depictions of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre also show machine guns being used, when the historical record is quite clear that the shooting was carried out by 50 Gurkha and Baluchi troops armed with rifles.

Gen Dyer also did not orchestrate the massacre, and deliberately trap the crowd inside the gardens, as some popular accounts have it.

Image copyright Getty Images

Image caption The crowd were not armed rebels but local residents and villagers

In fact, it was British panic and misreading of the political turmoil in India that was at the root of the violence.

While Indian nationalists were looking forward to political reforms and greater self-determination after the end of World War One, the British were still haunted by the spectre of the 1857 ��mutiny”, an uprising that is often referred to as India’s first war of independence.

So, when riots broke out in Amritsar on 10 April – and five Europeans and dozens of Indians were killed – the authorities responded with immediate and indiscriminate force. Three days later, Gen Dyer entered what he mistakenly perceived to be a war zone.

Sadiq Khan says UK must apologise for India massacre

Where popular depictions show a peaceful crowd of locals quietly listening to a political speech, Gen Dyer instead perceived a defiant and murderous mob, which had only days before run rampant through Amritsar. When he ordered his troops to open fire, it was an act of fear, spurred on by a disastrously flawed threat assessment.

None of this exonerates Gen Dyer or detracts from the sheer brutality of the massacre – nor does it justify the subsequent torture and humiliation of Indians under martial law. The indisputable violence of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre hardly requires any embellishment. Nevertheless, facts matter if we are to pay our respect to those who died rather than simply perpetuate politically convenient fiction. And to understand is not the same as to condone.

Image copyright Getty Images

Image caption There are bullet marks on a wall in the garden

Apologies and centenaries, which are essentially about the present rather than the past, are rarely conducive to an honest and nuanced reckoning with history.

An apology from a British government in the throes of Brexit, at the moment, seems highly unlikely. It it indeed doubtful whether an official acknowledgement of the massacre would be construed as more than an act of political expediency.

The question thus remains whether an apology without a genuine understanding of the past can ever provide the “closure” that so many seek.

Kim Wagner is the author, most recently, of Amritsar 1919: An Empire of Fear and the Making of a Massacre (Yale University Press) and Jallianwala Bagh: An Empire of Fear and the Making of the Amritsar Massacre (Penguin India).

[battingonjakku]

A guide to the 18 counties and why you should/shouldn’t support each one

Hello! The county season is about to start which means a lot of chatter about it here for the next 6 months, so if you’re looking for a team to support, here’s a quick guide to choosing one – with help from several of our lovely cricket fam.  

There are 18 to get through, so let’s get a crackin’

Derbyshire

Overseas players: Jeevan Mendis, Imran Tahir, Matt Henry     

Recent internationals: Gary Wilson (Ire), Hardus Viljoen (SA, Kolpak)

England prospects: Harvey Hosein is a very promising wicketkeeper, though at a time when England are blessed with so many

Why you should support them: The one and only Michael Holding is the club president, and if you’re a Matt Henry fan this is the team for you, having recently signed for the T20 Blast. And Harvey Hosein is a qt.

Why you shouldn’t support them: I’m not sure I know anyone who supports them, so it could be lonely (I DON’T MEAN THIS AS A WAY OF DISRESPECT IF THERE ARE DERBY FANS HERE PLEASE COME OUT THE WOODWORK)

Durham

Overseas players: Stephen Cook, Tom Latham

Recent internationals: Ben Stokes, Mark Wood, Keaton Jennings

England prospects: Jack Burnham, Paul Coughlin

Why you should support them: BECAUSE OF THE UNJUST TREATMENT OF THE ECB, also they have the best academy in the country and are generally good eggs – it is, after all, the home of Paul Collingwood. And if you’re in the area, you’re close to @bibliolicious​ and @omgbroady​ too.

Why you shouldn’t support them: honestly I can’t think of one, support Durham.

Essex

Overseas players: Mohammad Amir, Neil Wagner   

Recent internationals: Alastair Cook, Ravi Bopara

England prospects: Jamie Porter, Tom Westley

Why you should support them: if you’re a fan of Alastair Cook there will be a good three months of him (hopefully) churning out the runs for them in the CC, plus they have excellent comedy cricket through one of its kings: Ravi Bopara.

Why you shouldn’t support them: because it hurts too much, believe me. 2016 saw promotion in the CC but 2017 could be a battle after the big retirements of Graham Napier and David Masters.

Glamorgan

Overseas players: Jacques Rudolph 

Recent internationals: Ruaidhri Smith (Scotland), Timm van der Gugten (Netherlands), Colin Ingram (Kolpak)

England prospects: Aneurin Donald

Why you should support them: CYMRU AM BYTH, The Only Welsh Team, putting the Wales into the ECB (wait a sec...)

Why you shouldn’t support them: No trophy since (I believe) 2004, and whilst they’re improving in LO formats particularly, they’re not obvious contenders in any competitions.

Gloucestershire

Overseas players: Michael Klinger, Cameron Bancroft, Andrew Tye 

Recent internationals: :((

England prospects: Craig Miles, Matt Taylor

Why you should support them: Particularly strong one day team with a great history, and winning the 50 over cup against the odds in 2015. With Michael Klinger leading the way, definitely a team to watch in LO competitions.

Why you shouldn’t support them: If first class success is what matters to you, they’re not a great pick in the present or even history - never having been official county champions.

Hampshire

Overseas players: George Bailey 

Recent internationals: James Vince, Liam Dawson, Reece Topley, Kyle Abbott (Kolpak), Rilee Rossouw (Kolpak)

England prospects: Mason Crane, Tom Alsop

Why you should support them: Michael Carberry is a reason in himeslf. Not only has he made his way back to training after treatment for cancer, he’s also a great influence and support for younger batsmen around the country. In Mason Crane they have one of the most hotly-tipped players in the country.

Why you shouldn’t support them: Not at all popular after Abbott and Rossouw ended their international careers to sign on Kolpak deals, and the beneficiaries of Durham’s relegation by the ECB last year - topped with their chairman saying it was the right thing to do

Kent 

Overseas players: None so far, though Adam Milne may be on his way.

Recent internationals: Sam Billings, James Tredwell

England prospects: Daniel Bell-Drummond, Sam Northeast, Matt Coles

Why you should support them: Generally cricket’s good guys, plus the county ground has a tree! (and they literally had a new tree prepared for when the old one fell down, it’s one of my favourite quirks in county cricket). Also a team that really has an emphasis on home-grown talent.

Why you shouldn’t support them: Can perhaps a bit too unlucky - finishing second in Div 2 last year, the year when there was no promotion for coming second. And their kit is among the worst on the scene.

Lancashire (with help from @latenightwatchman​)

Overseas players:  Ryan McLaren, James Faulkner 

Recent internationals: James Anderson, Jos Buttler, Young Haseeb Hameed, Stephen Parry, Shivnarine Chanderpaul (Kolpak), Dane Vilas (Kolpak)

England prospects: Saqib Masood, Liam Livingstone

Why you should support them: They have a group of really exciting young batsmen coming to the fore: Hameed, Livingstone, Jones, and Davies. Giles did really well in pushing them (perhaps sometimes out of necessity) and hopefully we'll see more of the same this year. And Hameed, Jones and Davies are adorable, in their own little ways.

Why you shouldn’t support them: it’s Lancashire. They have taken a couple of Kolpak signings this year, so we might see less of an emphasis on youth. Also the OT pitches last year were often really dull to try and prevent relegation, which didn't always make for exciting cricket.

Leicestershire (with help from @knockmeforsix​)

Overseas players: Clint McKay, Sharjeel Khan, Cameron Delport, Luke Ronchi

Recent internationals: Kevin O’Brien (Ireland)

England prospects: Zak Chappell

Why you should support them: the perennial underdog who went two seasons without winning a first class game, but had a better year of 2016. Also a great producer of England talent over the years, including Stuart Broad and James Taylor. And Grace Road is adorable, with cheap hot dogs and the comm box being a glorified shed on the pavilion.

Why you shouldn’t support them: Here I quote: ‘we are not very good at cricket so if you like winning we are not the team for you’ (courtesy of Charlie)

Middlesex (with help from @twistsofsilver​)

Overseas players: Brendon McCullum, Adam Voges

Recent internationals: Steven Finn, Eoin Morgan, Paul Stirling (Ireland)

England prospects: Toby Roland-Jones, Nick Gubbins, Olly Rayner, Dawid Malan, Tom Helm

Why you should support them: the reigning champions! of the CC and can be expected to challenge strongly again this year. And if you sit in the pavilion you have entertainment like Tim Murtagh breaking the MCC gate and looking sheepish. Also, Steven Finn. And Lord’s.

Why you shouldn’t support them: I saw Nick Compton get a century once. I can’t remember it. Also, for all its glory, Lord’s can produce some really lifeless pitches.

Northamptonshire

Overseas players: None from what I can tell

Recent internationals: Ben Duckett

England prospects: Graeme White, Richard Gleeson

Why you should support them: despite being underdogs with the smallest of budgets, have formed one of the best T20 teams - winning in 2016 & 2013 and coming second in 2015. James Taylor has just joined as a coach, too.

Why you shouldn’t support them: Not always popular for taking a number of players on Kolpaks - not the only culprits, but called out on it a lot

Nottinghamshire 

Overseas players: Daniel Christian 

Recent internationals: Stuart Broad, Alex Hales, Jake Ball

England prospects: I’m not sure if Harry Gurney counts, already having had a stint in the side, but his name often comes up among more left field options.

Why you should support them: A good bunch of players who have underperformed recently. Led by one of the most respected wicketkeepers on the circuit in Chris Read, in what will be his swansong season.

Why you shouldn’t support them: A richer team who have been accused of poaching players from ‘smaller’ counties (often Leicestershire tbh). 

Somerset

Overseas players: Dean Elgar 

Recent internationals: Josh Davey (Scotland), Michael Leask (Scotland), Roelof van der Merwe (Netherlands), Paul van Meekeren (Netherlands)

England prospects: Jack Leach, James Hildreth (still clinging here), Tom Abell, Craig Overton, Jamie Overton

Why you should support them: A really talented bunch too often overlooked by England selectors, also Marcus Trescothick is still going strong aged 41 and is a hero. Came close to winning the Championship in 2016. 

Why you shouldn’t support them: They have a brilliant track record...at finishing second. Prepare your hopes to rise and be crushed at the final moment. 

Surrey

Overseas players: Kumar Sangakkara, Aaron Finch  

Recent internationals: Jason Roy, Zafar Ansari, Gareth Batty

England prospects: Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Scott Borthwick, Ben Foakes

Why you should support them: a really good group of players, blending experience with a lot of hot prospects for England. Tom and Sam Curran in particular are two of the most exciting players on the circuit. 

Why you shouldn’t support them: they’re the team that people often love to hate, and one of the richer teams in the country who are often accused of buying too much of their talent (or at least the ones called out on it the most)

Sussex

Overseas players: Vernon Philander, Ross Taylor  

Recent internationals: Chris Jordan, Tymal Mills, Matt Machan (Scotland), Ed Joyce (Ireland), Stiaan van Zyl (Kolpak), David Wiese (Kolpak)

England prospects: Delray Rawlins, Ollie Robinson

Why you should support them: A team with a good mix of experienced county pros and younger players, with the always-underappreciated (in this country certainly) Luke Wright leading the way. Also they’re by the sea which means nice instagrams.

Why you shouldn’t support them: Have had a couple of quiet seasons – including winning just one 50 over match in the last two years. Have taken a few high profile Kolpaks, too.

Warwickshire

Overseas players: Jeetan Patel

Recent internationals: Chris Woakes, Ian Bell, William Porterfield (Ireland)

England prospects: Sam Hain, Olly Stone, Josh Poysden

Why you should support them: Home of Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott, what other reasons do you want. Current 50 overs champions, too, plus a good crop of quicks - including The Nicest Man In Cricket, Chris Woakes

Why you shouldn’t support them: If you’re not a fan of the idea of franchises, their T20 team Birmingham Bears is the most obvious one to have gone in this direction, much to the ire of many of their own fans.

Worcestershire 

Overseas players: John Hastings, Mitchell Santner 

Recent internationals: Moeen Ali

England prospects: Brett D’Oliveira, Joe Clarke, Ross Whiteley 

Why you should support them: the perennial yo-yo team, so must be due a promotion. A rising limited-overs team with lots of promising young talent, also they have one of the most picturesque grounds in the country. Jack Shantry is also something of a cult hero, and Tom Fell’s successful return in 2016 after overcoming cancer one of last year’s most heartwarming moments.

Why you shouldn’t support them: the perennial yo-yo team, so if you don’t want to deal with the emotions this brings with it, they might not be for you. Prone to moments of glory and moments of despair.

Yorkshire

Overseas players: Peter Handscomb, Travis Head

Recent internationals: Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Liam Plunkett, David Willey, Gary Ballance, Adil Rashid

England prospects: Jack Leaning, Matt Fisher

Why you should support them: I mean they’re my favourite team...also featuring lots of familiar faces of England’s present and past (Bresnan, Sidebottom, Lyth). Will expect to be challenging for the title come September after winning the Championship in 2014 and 2015. 

Why you shouldn’t support them: they’re a team people love to hate, and the team everyone wants to beat, partly just to shut them up - which, um, is probably fair