#it was the greatest cricket match of all time"

[musiquesduciel]

All of you who missed yesterday's match for Australia vs Afghanistan missed the entire world cup.

[turbulentscrawl]

Ganji Gupta General HCs

I'm unable to make a header for Ganji at the moment, but I'll add one to the post later when I can get on my good desktop.

Edit: Added!

-First of all, in case it isn’t clear, Ganji started the fire. However, it’s important to note that Ganji chose arson for a few specific reasons. Plausible deniability was one. The second was that a fire gave people a chance to escape. Ganji believes in something along the lines of karma (I’m not especially religious or philosophical myself so I don’t feel inclined to pick one in particular for him), and a fire better allowed that to step in and save his targets. If the universe or whatever higher power, decided they deserved to live then they would, and Ganji could rest assured that they weren’t a wholly bad person. All but that child perished in the smoke and flames, though, so that settles that doesn’t it?

-Ganji is a man suffering from disillusionment. This is the result of him being taken advantage of. He left everything behind, came to another county just for the sport he loved, for his passion, only to find out that he was seen as nothing more than a novelty item. Something—not even a someone—kept around because his very existence was “amusing.” Disgusting.

-And it all happened because he’s naïve. He knows this, and just about everyone that’s around him for more than a day knows it, so now he’s incredibly protective of that aspect of himself. He’s not self-conscious of it or anything, he knows that naivety is just as aspect of someone being kind and trusting, but he’ll be damned if he lets someone else use him to their benefit again.

-Like Andrew, he’s developed a tendency to be sharp and reclusive as a defense mechanism. However, his emotional walls aren’t as thick, as dense. In a way, his hurt runs less deep because he doesn’t have self-hatred to factor into the cocktail of his pain. He warms to people faster and has a sweeter disposition under his cover…but you’ll have to be persistent if you want to get to that point. Ganji will shrug off offerings of kindness several times before giving someone a chance.

-In-line with his kindheartedness, but counter to the façade he puts up, Ganji can’t ignore someone else in real need. His mask falls as soon as someone’s peace or safety are threatened. He’s either the greatest hero or the biggest liability to have in a match because he can and will charge head-long into a hunter if it means saving another survivor. Even the ones he doesn’t like all that much. Additionally, he’s generally willing to argue on behalf of someone not willing to speak up for themselves.

-This boy is hard-headed. Stubborn! There are so many stupid hills he’s willing to die on. But he’s also not very good at arguments (which is unfortunate, considering the above hc), he stumbles over his words a lot, jumbles his points up. He sounds a lot more put-together in writing than in person, but his handwriting is atrocious so honestly good luck reading it. Poor guy is at a communication crossroads and both roads lead to embarrassment.

-As one might guess, this all makes Ganji very one-track minded in matches…and with most of his problems in life. Something wrong, anything? Swing the bat. At a ball, at a head. You know, whatever the situation calls for.

-His nativity also means that he doesn’t pick up on flirtation well. Someone either has to be very direct or very patient for Ganji to pick up on their interest. When he does catch on, he’s hesitant to reciprocate. He can’t deny the appeal of relationships, but he hasn’t had one since before he left home. Things are different. Really different, considering the manor…but it’s not hard to convince the guy to give love a chance as long as you’re not overly pushy.

-He spends a lot of free time at the manor trying to get people to play cricket with him. It doesn’t matter that no one else is really good at it, he just misses playing. William and Mike are the only ones who agree regularly, and that’s certainly not enough people. Most others only play along for Ganji’s birthday.

[desi-yearning]

Every 19th November has its 29th June.

Bittersweet. That’s the word I had been using to describe the ODI World Cup 2023. I'd use the same to describe this T20 World Cup 2024 too. But for reasons that are poles apart.

Very few people would know and understand how much this win means to me. 19th November has done some irreparable damage, I’ve had breakdowns for months about this, wrote poems that’ll never see the light (or you’ll never know it was written about this), but most importantly, I had given up hope, completely. This one compares nothing to that world cup but this brought back the hope to me that life won’t be as good as I want it to be, but maybe it won’t be as bad as I thought it would be.

I’ve grown up. I turned 18 this month and I also had to begin saying goodbye to my hero. From defending Virat in classrooms, carrying his pictures in my bag to defending Virat on online platforms yesterday and having a poster of him in my room, I’ve come a long way with him as an idol. I know that he is going to play the other formats but this is the beginning of a series of goodbyes. I’m not ready for this. I don’t think I’ll ever be too. I love him beyond expression.

Rohit. I still do not get how people who like Virat do not like Rohit. How can you *not* like Rohit? Rohit had been one of the players I liked previously but when cricket came back to me after a few years, he came back to me stronger. Rohit started to mean so much to me especially after seeing him embrace his ‘Bhaiya’ role in the best way possible. I’ve written so much about him in the last few months, maybe more than I’ve ever written about Virat. I love him so much.

Jasprit Bumrah. The only God I believe in. The game changer. The point of difference. I could write an entire book about how amazing he is and that'll still be less. That man is the sole reason behind me starting to watch the bowling innings too. And now, I'll gladly admit that I enjoy the bowling innings more than the batting one. All because of one man, the man, the myth, the legend.

So many moments yesterday that brought me tears but nothing compares to seeing Hardik cry and talk about it all. I'm so proud to have never trolled that man for whatever has happened, it's a flex to say that I've defended him during that time. People put him through so much and I think he was the one of the people who deserved this win the most. He's a gem.

I could go on and write paras about every single one in this team. All of them are phenomenal and like Rohit and Rahul say, they played their roles exceptionally well. How Sky’s catch changed the winning probability, Arshdeep’s last over, Axar’s contribution with the bat, Kuldeep throughout the tournament. I couldn't be anymore grateful to this team for making this day possible.

It was an insane game. One of the greatest comebacks ever. I’m glad to have never stopped believing in this team. They’ve done what felt impossible at one point. This is a story I’ll tell people for generations to come. I feel so blessed to be supporting and cheering for a team like this and having the good fortune of having watched it live on a screen. I’ll never shut up about this. I’ve witnessed history.

This was my first world cup win ever since the time I started watching cricket. I still don’t think there was a specific someone who got me into cricket, this game just happened to me. And I’m so glad it did because I cannot imagine my life without cricket playing one of the biggest parts in it. Most of my best and worst memories are from watching cricket. If I had to divide my life into phases, it'd always be using cricket. Thank you Team India for all these memories. I will love you forever.

This one’s for my Tumblr people. I love each and every single one of you all so much. I was watching the match all alone in my room but yet I felt like I was celebrating with everyone else with all the live-blogging that we did. Celebrating with people is still a big dream for me as I always watch the matches alone and no one in my house really cares. But you guys made it possible, partially at least. I don’t think I’d have enjoyed the match as much as I did if not for you, my dear Tumblr mutuals. So, a big thank you to you too! <3

Love, A.

[icecricnewsupdates]

Who is the Cricket World's Best Player?

The question of who is the greatest cricketer of all time has been a perennial debate among fans and pundits alike. While the answer is often subjective and influenced by personal biases, there are several players who have consistently dominated the sport and made a strong case for the title. Let's explore some of the contenders and the factors that contribute to their greatness.

The Modern Era Dominators: Kohli, Smith, and Kane Williamson

The past decade has witnessed the rise of three exceptional talents who have redefined the standards of batting. Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, and Kane Williamson have consistently produced match-winning performances across all formats, solidifying their status as the modern era's premier batsmen.

♯1. Virat Kohli: The Indian captain's aggressive style, impeccable timing, and ability to adapt to different conditions have made him a nightmare for bowlers. His record-breaking centuries and his leadership qualities have cemented his place among the all-time greats.

♯2. Steve Smith: The Australian's unorthodox technique and his ability to score runs at will have made him a force to be reckoned with. Smith's consistency and his ability to perform under pressure have earned him widespread admiration.

♯3. Kane Williamson: The New Zealand captain's elegant strokeplay and his calm demeanor have made him a joy to watch. Williamson's ability to anchor the innings and his match-winning performances have solidified his reputation as one of the best batsmen in the world.

➥ Also Read: Indian Cricket Team Schedule 2024-2025

The All-Round Legends: Imran Khan, Kapil Dev, and Jacques Kallis

The all-rounders who have excelled in both batting and bowling have always been held in high regard. Imran Khan, Kapil Dev, and Jacques Kallis are among the most iconic all-rounders of all time.

♯1. Imran Khan: The former Pakistan captain's swing bowling and his classy batting made him a complete cricketer. His leadership qualities and his contributions to his country's success have earned him legendary status.

♯2. Kapil Dev: The Indian fast bowler's ability to swing the ball both ways and his useful batting made him a valuable asset to the team. His leadership in the 1983 World Cup-winning team cemented his place in Indian cricket history.

♯3. Jacques Kallis: The South African all-rounder's consistency and his ability to perform in all conditions have made him one of the greatest cricketers of his generation. His contributions with both bat and ball have been invaluable to his country.

➥ Also Read: Indian Cricket Team Schedule 2024-2025

The Timeless Greats: Don Bradman, Sachin Tendulkar, and West Indies Legends

While the modern era has produced some exceptional talents, there are a few players who have transcended generations and are considered among the greatest of all time. Don Bradman, Sachin Tendulkar, and the West Indies legends of the 1970s and 1980s are among the most revered names in cricket history.

♯1. Don Bradman: The Australian legend's batting average of 99.98 remains the highest in Test cricket history. His dominance over bowlers and his ability to score runs at will have made him a mythical figure in the sport.

♯2. Sachin Tendulkar: The Indian "Master Blaster" broke countless records during his illustrious career. His ability to adapt to different conditions and his consistency have made him one of the most beloved cricketers of all time.

♯3. West Indies Legends: The West Indies teams of the 1970s and 1980s boasted a formidable lineup of fast bowlers and powerful batsmen. Players like Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards, Gordon Greenidge, and Joel Garner dominated world cricket for over a decade.

➥ Also Read: Indian Cricket Team Schedule 2024-2025

[aru-loves-krishnaxarjuna]

Yk, like sometimes, the greatest fault parents do? Think that "yes only i can know the best for my child." While abusing and neglecting and overwhelming them INSTEAD.

Like today was my PTM, and ibgot low marks because of favoritism of teachers with class toppers and because of my stress.

My parents have the greatest hand in my stressed depressed self. They have put me through SOO MANY classes, just because their frnds were like " oH mY cHiLd DoEs ThEsE tHiNgS! hE's ReAlLy TaLeNtEd!" Like to match with the other kids, my parents put me through hell!

I am indian. So we have many types of dances. And all these dances are taught at my dance school. So i do many things at once:

Dances [yes cuz there are too many]

Tabla

Harmonium [vocal and many types of songs like classical and rabindra sangeet]

Cricket

Table tennis 🏓

Swimming

Drawing and art

Tuition: Maths and Science

Tuition: Language and Ssc

And then comes school! There aremany programs of school. And i had went up to even NATIONAL level of AFS EAC SPORTS CHAMPIONSHIP and came 4th in TT 🏓 and my parents are still NOT satisfied.

It's overwhelming me a LOT. And my parents are like:

"But we couldn't do it before so we are making you do them!"

"But it's good for you!"

"Shut up with you stress-talks! There is nothing called stress!"

"How can you be so stressed? You are so young."

"You have no problem with yourself you don't need therapy"

LIKE I NEED THERAPY I HAVE ATTEMPTED SUICIDE FOR THIS 7 TIMES AT GRADE 8!! I DEVELOPED DEPRESSION AND MENTAL ILLNESS AT A YOUNG AGE OF 9! I HAD CUT MY ARMS AT THE AGE OF 11 AND 12, JUST FOR THESE.

AND PARENTS EVEN BEAT AND SCOLD AND NEGLECT THEIR CHILDREN WHEN THEY DON'T GO THE WAY THEY WANT TO!

And then comes school. Fake frnds. Education stress. Pressure. Feels like hell and jail. Grades. And so many other things!

TO HELL WITH THESE!

[thenikhilsinghrajpxt]

"In India cricket Isn't a sport, it's a religion."

A very anticipated tournament the cricket world cup which was back after 4 years with a hope of indian victory started in October 2023, this time it was even more special as india was the host country and the excitement was unparalleled

Indian team had their first clash with arch rivals the mighty austrailians, after a sense of collapse india secured comfortable victory over kangaroos, courtesy virat kohli and k l rahul, That match was not just a match but a statement of hunger for winning the cup, since that match indian team kept on showing their dominance in indian conditions and with the likes of rohit sharma, jasprit bumrah, hardik pandya, mohammad shami, ravindra jadeja, kuldeep yadav and GOAT Virat kohli the team was looking invincible and on the other hand australia was unfortunately on a losing trot.

Eventually the 5 times champions bounced back as what they known for and had a memorable victory over Afghanistan in a neck to neck game, glenn maxwell the big show stood for the team with an injured leg and played the greatest knock in ODI history and took the team over the mark. after this australia won consecutive matches and sealed their semi final spot. India won the semi final against new zealand and reached in the final and on the other hand australia outshined south africa in a close encounter.

19th of november, the stage was set an opening ceremony of air force showdown set the tone of the evening, india was the most probable contender to win the final as of the red hot form they were carrying and were yet to lose a single match in the whole tournament along with Virat kohli scoring most runs in the tournament and Mohammed shami picking up most wickets in the championship, australia won the toss amd decided to bowl first, india started on with their powerful batting approach and an positive intent but after the wicket of rohit sharma responsibility of virat kohli on the crease was increased yet he delivered with a crucial 52 runs knock but after his wicket a big collapse in the batting lineup was seen and they ended up scoring 240 in 50 overs, Australian batters with a edgy start lost 2 early wickets but after that the partnership between travis head and marnus labuchagne took the match away from the hands of india, AUSTRALIA WON THE WORLD CUP BY 6 WICKETS, all there left for india was tears in the eyes of the players and so in the fans and since then 19th november is a nightmare for every indian cricket fan.

[courseyoulovemeyoudontknowme]

The Lady Vanishes (1938, Alfred Hitchcock)

27/01/2024

The Lady Vanishes is a 1938 film directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

The story is based on the novel The Wheel Spins by Ethel Lina White.

A remake was made in 1979 entitled The Lady Vanishes, directed by Anthony Page, with Angela Lansbury in the role of Miss Froy.

A train is running from the Balkans towards London when an avalanche stops it in a remote village. In the hotel where they are forced to stay overnight, they meet some English citizens: Iris Henderson, the young heiress of a rich jam producer, returning from a holiday with two friends and headed to London to get married to a nobleman; Miss Froy, amiable old lady in a tweed suit, housekeeper and music teacher for six years in that country and about to return to her homeland; Caldicott and Charters, cricket fans, very upset about the forced interruption of their trip which risks making them miss the final phase of a test match in Manchester; Gilbert, a musician with a passion for folklore who records folk songs with a little too much noise, resulting in a lively confrontation with Iris; a couple of lovers whose greatest concern is not to be recognized.

Miss Froy tries to escape into the woods, after leaving a coded message contained in the musical notes of a melody that Gilbert must learn by heart and take to the British Foreign Office in case she fails to save herself.

As promised Iris and Gilbert go to the Foreign Office in Whitehall to report the coded message.

The expiration of the contract that Gainsboroug (subsidiary of Gaumont-British) had taken over from Gaumont and Hitchcock had to complete the second film (the first was Young and Innocent) foreseen by the agreement with Edward Black.

In May 1936 Frank had proposed to Gainsboroug to buy the rights to White's novel, he had worked on the screenplay together with Sidney Gilliat but Roy William Neill, the director who had been entrust with the direction, din not complete the film.

The role of the lovable old spy was entrusted to Dame May Whutty, who would later be cast in a minor role in Suspicion.

In the role of the rich young bourgeois the director used Margaret Lockwood, under contract to the production company; in the role of the penniless musician Hitchcock would have liked Robert Donat, the protagonist of The 39 Steps, who had to give it up for health reasons; Michael Redgrave was the chosen, already famous as a young theater actor in John Gielgud's company, here at his first film test: the director liked him for his detached and casula style.

In the fundamental interview given by Alfred Hitchcock to François Truffaut, published for the first time in 1966, the director said about this film of his: "It was shot in 1938 in the small studio in Islington, on a thirty meter platform and with a wagon on top."

In addition to all his dearest themes (the incredibleity of the truth and the game of appearances, spies, travel, the relationship between a couple and love, humor) there is a strong political connotation, influenced by international current affairs: 1938 is the year of the Munich Agreement, evoked by the white handkerchief waved by the lawyer, an unpleasant neutralist who, regardless of his lover and the other Englishmen, hands himself over to the spies and gets himself killed. Finally, the main enemy of the film, Doctor Hart, alludes to Germany both his surname and in his origin ( in that same year Czechoslovakia also begins to "disappear", with the annexation of the Sudetenland to Germany, a prologue of what will happen in the following year). Hitchcock declares anti-Nazi sentiments expressed on other occasions in his films (The Man Who Knew Too Much, The 39 Steps, Secret Agent, Foreign Correspondent, Saboteur, Lifeboat, Notorious).

[themaethpost]

December 22nd.

The crickets sing along to the the low hum that come from that candle lit kitchen at 11:43 p.m while she busies herself with sweet preparations. The oven, turned off but still warm enough from being used exactly twenty-seven minutes ago, fights off the cold winter night and makes her wipe the windows with her way-too-big sweater sleeves so the fog wouldn’t hide the magical view she has through it while she decorates the small cake with his favourite cake toppings.

It has to be perfect, it needs to taste amazing, at least that what she first thought when she slipped out of his arms in the middle of their sleep and closed the bedroom door as quietly as humanly possible.

She tried the mix a couple of times, adding sugar and vanilla extract when she deemed necessary but nothing seemed quite right, after all, her baking skills aren’t the greatest. Isabella came to the conclusion that the cake tastes decent and rolled with it to not lose any more time.

Three blue candles sit on top of the wooden counter waiting to be placed on the spongy surface. “Three candles for three wishes”, or at least is what her mom always told her and her siblings on every birthday, a nice tradition to bring luck and happiness to your loved ones. And him… Well, he’s who she loves the most.

By the time she’s done with the decorations the clock marks 11:57 p.m. A sweet message in white cream and sloppy lettering adorns the birthday cake: Happy Birthday Shuhei. His full name, of course, she wanted to draw a heart over the I and she did.

Trembling hands grab the small plate and two spoons, one for each. She would’ve grabbed matches but she doesn’t have anything to hide, not anymore, not to him. He knows her, her abilities, her weaknesses, and he’s always been accepting of them.

Her hips push the bedroom door open slightly and her careful steps make their way to his side of the bed to kneel by his side on the floor, presenting the humble gift she made. Her voice interrupts the quiet of the night for the first time since they decided it was time to go to bed.

“Shu, Shu… Baby.” Not quite a whisper, not quite her normal talking voice, but enough to make him stir and shift under the sheets and covers. Still not a single light, except from the moon shining down on them from their bedroom window. Turning to where her voice was calling for him and rubbing his eyes to see better in the dark, that’s when she gently blows on the three candles and they light up in front of his eyes.

“Isa, wh-what happen- Oh…” A pleasant tone in his sleepy voice once he realises what is happening.

“お誕生日おめでとう, amor mío.” Her pronunciation is definitely a little off but it makes him smile so big. She spend the whole night rehearsing this exact same moment, mouthing the words in Kyoh language to herself while whipping and mixing. She knows saying happy birthday in one’s native language is always heart-warming, and all she wants to do now is make him feel surrounded by love. “Make three wishes before you blow out the candles but don’t say them out loud or they won’t come true.”

Their eyes meet for quite sometime, she can feel him staring straight into her soul, as if he is saying “you know what I’m wishing for” and part of her does, because she knows those three wishes are always the same for the both of them since they met two years ago. To be together, to love each other, to be always this happy.

His warm breath reaches her face and turns the fire into smoke that fills the space between them, letting the moon be the only one to illuminate their faces as they come closer together to seal the wishes with a kiss.

A sweet, short kiss before pulling away for her to crawl in bed on top of him as he fixes himself to rest his back on the headboard so they can be face to face.

“Did you like the surprise? I know it’s late and you wake up at the crack of dawn, and of course, this is not it, you have to open your other gifts but…” Her nervous chuckles get interrupted by one more kiss.

“I loved it, Isabella.” His usual stoic face show such tenderness towards her at all times but something about the way his sleepy eyes are looking at hers melts her heart even more than normal. He’s truly happy about the surprise. His heart beating hard but steady, showing how excited he is. She can feel it, she always does.

“Then I hope you like it even more once you taste it.” Isabella hands him a spoon as the cake sits in between their legs on the bed, and even though now he has his own cutlery, the first piece she takes it’s for him, bringing the spoon to his lips for him to try it. “Be harsh with me, any suggestions?”

He shakes his head and lowers her hand, his fingers intertwined with her long hair as he approaches her lips again, the cream on his lips making her taste the sweetness of it all, not just the cake, to then deepen the kiss more and more as seconds go by, leaving the sweet gift on the nightstand all forgotten about for one much more sweeter.

1:13 a.m finds them all tangled up in their bedsheets breathing slow but uneven, their hairs messy on the pillows and their bodies against each other to keep all warmth they just created in the most intimate and loving way. All the love they made has them thinking how magical is to know those three wishes they keep on bringing up on every birthday, on every fallen eyelash, every shooting star, on every talk to the moon came true, and will continue to be true.

[beardedmrbean]

The future of the French international women’s cricket team is in doubt after 17 players called for an investigation into allegations that its governing body staged fake matches to secure funding from the International Cricket Council. With cricket set to become an Olympic sport after the 2024 Paris Games, FRANCE 24 looked at the reasons behind the team's collapse.

Tara Britton turned up to training, held every Thursday for the men’s and women’s French national cricket teams, last November 16 as scheduled. It wasn’t a big turnout for the women’s side, as she was one of only two who showed.

A day earlier, she had joined 16 of her national side teammates in signing an open letter calling for an official investigation into France Cricket following allegations published by FRANCE 24 in November, including that the governing body was staging fake women’s matches to access more funding from the International Cricket Council (ICC).

“If the allegations are true, we condemn the actions as outrageous and, as players of the national Women’s team, we wish to strongly and firmly dissociate ourselves from the behaviour and actions of France Cricket,” the letter read.

France Cricket’s sporting director Saravana Durairaj arrived at the track in the 15th arrondissement (district) of Paris as they finished their session, Britton recounted.

Durairaj, who was recently made CEO of the association, had coached the women through the highs and lows of international tournaments since 2019. Their greatest success: promotion to Division One of the ICC 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier, beating Sweden, Turkey, Jersey and Germany along the way.  

That was the pinnacle of French women’s cricket, which has now arrived at its nadir. 

“He told us, ‘You’re not welcome anymore’ – that we’re suspended,” said Britton, a wicket-keeper and right-handed batter who has played 29 matches for France. “He was visibly quite angry. He wouldn't let us say anything, wouldn’t let us explain our side. He was basically saying he was disappointed in us. He felt let down that – after all the time and effort he put into us – that we have treated him like this.”

It is against France Cricket rules for national team players to criticise the governing body publicly at risk of being “excluded from the French national team”, reads a code of conduct signed by players.

“We dared to say that we knew there were some problems within the federation,” said Lara Armas, a left-handed batter who, like Britton, debuted in 2021. “Can you really say that that is criticism? It’s factual.”

From 2019 to 2023, Armas was on France Cricket’s committee and was appointed head of their commission for the women’s game.

“We didn’t accuse anyone in particular. We didn’t name anyone, we simply asked for clarifications,” said Magali Marchello-Nizia, a right-arm bowler who made her debut in 2019.

The team made France Cricket aware they were going to publish the letter before they did so. “Some of us were even pressured by France Cricket not to publish anything. You could even qualify some of these as threats,” said Alix Brodin, a left-handed batter who debuted after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Asked what exactly was threatened, Armas recalled that Durairaj told one of the players, “If you do that, I can’t protect you anymore.”

Contacted by FRANCE 24, Durairaj said that a decision about the women’s team would be published in May. He did not respond to more detailed allegations.

‘No communication’

Without any further communication from their governing body, players were removed from WhatsApp groups involving them. On November 19, they found out – via social media – that they would no longer be participating in the inaugural Women’s European Cricket Championship, scheduled to begin less than a month later on December 17.

The organisers, the European Cricket Network (ECN), announced that a team from England would be replacing France at the tournament in Malaga involving the national sides of Spain, the Netherlands, Italy and Austria.

“In a recent development, the French Cricket Federation, Association Française de Cricket, has unfortunately withdrawn their team’s participation,” read a press release. ECN declined to comment further.

“I’ve received no email, no communication from France Cricket explaining anything at all,” said Brodin.

Word spread in January that the women could only apply to be part of the national team this year if they apologised.

“We’ve done nothing wrong,” said Armas. “I’m not apologising for saying, ‘There’s an investigation going on, I want the truth’.”

To this day, the only written communication the women’s national team has received from France Cricket was an email sent on March 1 asking each of them to return their uniforms “for logistical reasons”.

Shut up and play cricket

FRANCE 24’s investigation last November raised questions over whether France was eligible to participate in ICC tournaments as it has done since 2021, given the difficulty of proving that the country has the requisite minimum of eight domestic women’s teams “competing in a minimum of five hard-ball matches for the previous two years”, as per ICC rules.

Players acknowledged having their suspicions.

“It’s always the same three or four clubs that provide women’s national team players,” said Brodin. “We know very well that what’s been written is true, we just never went looking for proof.”

Several said their decision to take part regardless came down to the lack of other opportunities to play cricket. Even for the women’s first division, for instance, only three match days were organised last season.

“The dilemma we’re faced with is absolutely unjust,” said all-rounder Poppy McGeown, who played 27 matches for France. “In France there are very few opportunities to play … either you shut your mouth and play cricket, or you decide to take a more ethical approach and speak up to condemn things that you find unfair or illegal, and that comes with being kicked out of the team.”

“You have to choose between the sport you love and the values you hold dear. So for two years I closed my eyes, and I’m not particularly proud of it,” she said.

Armas said she also turned a blind eye.

“I was egotistical,” she said. “I wanted to play, so yes, I did close my eyes on some things. I have to say thank you to all those girls who didn’t.”

More evidence of ‘ghost matches’ 

The women’s first- and second-division tournaments have disappeared from France Cricket’s plans for this year, replaced by a “France Women’s Cup” featuring 10 teams due to kick off this Saturday, April 13.

Out of the four first-division teams from last year, only Lille Cricket Club and Paris Université Club are slated to participate, with Nantes Cricket Club not renewing its affiliation with France Cricket in the wake of the scandal and Lisses Cricket Club planning to do the same for its women’s team.

The other eight clubs include seven from last year’s Division Two, which was the subject of November’s FRANCE 24 report.

Since its publication, more evidence of irregularities in this division has come to light.

On April 16, six Division Two matches were scheduled to take place on Chantilly cricket ground. All six were subsequently rubber-stamped as having taken place by France Cricket’s sporting commission.

Edward Hoyle, captain of Chantilly Cricket Club, said he arrived just before 2pm to renovate the wicket, only to be told a women’s match was about to start.

“That match did take place, but it was all over in 20 minutes. That’s 10 minutes an innings,” recalled Hoyle. “Whether that constitutes a match or not, I don’t know.”

Once the short match was over, Hoyle proceeded to strip and relay the wicket, a process that took several hours.

It is clear that the fourth, fifth and sixth matches did not happen at the time and place for which they were certified.

In its response to FRANCE 24’s November report on women’s ghost matches, France Cricket said “the results shown on its website are those communicated via the match reports handed in by the umpires at the end of each match”.

The chair of one of the clubs that was responsible for umpiring on April 16 denied his club was involved in matches that did not actually take place. He said he had delegated responsibility for the women’s team to the club captain and wasn’t aware of specific events that day.

When asked how his club planned to field a women's team this year, he acknowledged it would be a challenge. “We have women’s teams, but they’re students – you have to organise it during school holidays. It’s a bit difficult.”

France Cricket did not respond to a request for comment.

On November 16, Nantes Cricket Club sent a request to state prosecutors and police asking for an investigation into alleged fraudulent activity by the association.

In April 2022, the Versailles public prosecutor dismissed defamation charges brought by France Cricket against Hoyle, which he said were brought after he wrote a letter to clubs criticising the organisation.

“The ICC has investigated the allegations in relation to France Cricket and are satisfied that the issue is now closed,” a spokesperson for the sport's global administrator told Alison Mitchell of the BBC’s "Stumped" podcast. “Each Member is wholly responsible for the participation data that is submitted per the census and accuracy of these records remains of utmost importance and are audited by the ICC.”

From New Caledonia with cricketers

During a meeting with the France Cricket board while she was head of the women’s commission, Armas recalled pushing for a recognition of the reality on the ground. “Come on, among us we can admit it,” she said. “There are only four women’s teams in cricket. We know there are only four teams in Division One, and Division Two is fake.”

In response, she recalled, “I was almost insulted. Like, ‘How can you say this?’ I got shut down badly.”

She also remembered conversations with Durairaj in which he shared his conviction that the way to develop women’s cricket in France was not via domestic competitions, but “to have a strong national team”.

But now, France Cricket must assemble an entirely new one – notably ahead of another ECN tournament in December to which France has been invited, according to one source, but not confirmed by ECN.

The governing body emailed clubs on January 16 asking for candidates for both national teams, but none of the previous women’s squad who spoke to FRANCE 24 have put their names forward.

One avenue that France Cricket is exploring to bolster its women’s team lies far from the French mainland, in New Caledonia. A traditional form of cricket, played mostly by indigenous Kanak women, has been popular in the French overseas territory since the sport was introduced by English missionaries.

France Cricket chairman Prebagarane Balane visited the southwest Pacific islands in March, accompanied by Durairaj, where he signed an agreement with New Caledonia’s sports minister Mickaël Forrest and cricket committee head Jean-Marc Ihily. The deal obliges the committee to register all of its players with France Cricket by August 31, which could add some 3,000 to the 1,800 players that the association currently claims are on its books.

It also grants France Cricket the right to call up players in New Caledonia for the French national team, but not if they play the non-standard form of the game.

On March 30, at France Cricket’s annual general meeting at their office in Saint-Maurice near Paris, Balane was joined by Ihily in person to announce plans for a women’s tournament in Nouméa, the capital of New Caledonia, this September. Balane stressed the importance of recruitment ahead of the 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup in India.

Marchello-Nizia said that two years ago, Durairaj told her about looking to New Caledonia for potential women’s national team players. “Things might have accelerated, given recent developments,” she said.

Death of a national team?

Asked if the current national team was dead, Britton was equivocal. “The team obviously doesn't stop with us. But as far as the players are concerned, I feel like we've been asked not to come back.”

McGeown lamented the state of French cricket. “When you have the honour and pride of playing for your country, no matter what the sport, it’s a huge motivator. And now we’ve lost it because we’re not ready to play as part of this system.”

[crickblast]

Biography of Sachin Tendulkar's, career and achievements (Indian Cricketer)

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar, widely regarded as one of the greatest cricketers of all time, had a remarkable childhood that laid the foundation for his legendary cricketing career. Here's a brief biography of his childhood:

 Full Name:  Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar

 Date of Birth:  April 24, 1973

 Place of Birth:  Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

 Family Background:

Sachin Tendulkar was born into a middle-class Marathi family in Mumbai. His father, Ramesh Tendulkar, was a Marathi novelist, and his mother, Rajni Tendulkar, worked in the insurance industry. Sachin has two half-brothers, Ajit and Nitin, and a half-sister, Savita.    

 Early Interest in Cricket:

Sachin's interest in cricket began at a very young age. His elder brother, Ajit Tendulkar, recognized his talent and encouraged him to play the sport. Ajit even took him to the Ramakant Achrekar, a renowned cricket coach in Mumbai, to get formal training. Sachin trained under Achrekar during his formative years.

 School Days and Early Achievements:

Sachin Tendulkar attended Sharadashram Vidyamandir School in Mumbai, where he started to make a name for himself in school cricket. His performances at the school level were exceptional, and he soon progressed to represent Mumbai in domestic cricket.

First-Class Debut:

Sachin made his first-class debut for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy at the age of 15 in 1988. He was essential to Mumbai winning the competition.

 Youngest Indian to Debut for the National Team: a

Sachin Tendulkar made his debut for the Indian national cricket team on November 15, 1989, against Pakistan in Karachi. At just 16 years of age, he became the youngest Indian to play for the national team.

 Rapid Rise to Stardom:

Sachin's talent was evident from the start of his international career. He quickly established himself as one of the finest batsmen in the world and became a cricketing sensation in India and around the globe.

Sachin Tendulkar's childhood and early years were marked by his incredible dedication, hard work, and passion for the game. His journey from a young boy with a dream to one of the greatest cricketers in history is an inspiring story of perseverance and talent.

Sachin Tendulkar, often referred to as the "Little Master" or the "Master Blaster," is one of the greatest cricketers in the history of the sport. An overview of his early life is provided here.

Childhood and Early Life:

1. Sachin Tendulkar was born into a middle-class family in Mumbai, India. His father, Ramesh Tendulkar, was a professor, and his mother, Rajni Tendulkar, worked in the insurance industry.

2. Sachin displayed an early interest in cricket and began playing the sport at a very young age. He was just 11 years old when he made his debut in school cricket.

3. His talent was evident from an early age, and he quickly rose through the ranks of school and club cricket in Mumbai. He played for Shardashram Vidyamandir School, where he was coached by Ramakant Achrekar, a highly respected cricket coach.

4. Under the guidance of Coach Achrekar, Sachin developed his skills and started to make a name for himself in Mumbai's junior cricket circuit.

Early Cricket Career:

1. Sachin made his debut for the Indian national cricket team at the age of 16 in a Test match against Pakistan in 1989. He was the youngest cricketer to represent India at the time.

2. In 1990, he scored his first century in international cricket, becoming the youngest Indian to achieve this feat in Test cricket.

3. Over the years, Sachin Tendulkar went on to become one of the most prolific run-scorers in the history of cricket, setting numerous records and achieving many milestones during his illustrious career.

Childhood Achievements:

1. At the age of 14, Sachin Tendulkar scored a century partnership with his childhood friend Vinod Kambli in a school cricket match, which gained significant attention and marked him as a rising star.

2. He also scored a historic unbeaten century at Lord's Cricket Ground in London in 1990, becoming the youngest cricketer to do so at the age of 17.

Sachin Tendulkar's childhood was characterized by a deep passion for cricket and a strong work ethic, which laid the foundation for his remarkable career in the sport. His dedication and talent eventually made him a cricketing legend and an icon in India and around the world.

Under-19 Career

Sachin Tendulkar's Under-19 cricket career was the early stage of his illustrious cricketing journey. Here is a brief biography of Sachin Tendulkar during his Under-19 cricket days:

 Early Life:

Sachin Tendulkar was born in Mumbai, India. He displayed an early affinity for cricket and started playing the sport at a very young age. His talent was recognized early, and he was coached by Ramakant Achrekar, a renowned cricket coach in Mumbai.

 Under-19 Career:

Sachin Tendulkar's talent in cricket became evident when he was just a teenager. He made his debut for the Indian Under-19 cricket team at the age of 16 during the 1988-89 season. His performances in youth cricket were exceptional, and he quickly became a standout player in the team.

In 1989, Sachin played in the Under-19 World Cup, which was the inaugural edition of the tournament. He performed impressively, scoring a century in the semi-final against Pakistan. Unfortunately, India did not win the tournament, but Sachin's talent was there for all to see.

*Early Milestones:

Sachin Tendulkar's success in Under-19 cricket paved the way for his rapid ascent to the senior Indian cricket team. He made his debut for the senior Indian cricket team on November 15, 1989, at the age of 16, becoming the youngest Indian cricketer to play in a Test match. He went on to have a legendary career, becoming one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket.

 Legacy:

Sachin Tendulkar's Under-19 cricket days were just the beginning of a career that spanned 24 years. He holds numerous records in international cricket, including being the highest run-scorer in both Test and One-Day International (ODI) formats at the time of my knowledge cutoff in September 2021. He is widely regarded as one of the most iconic and accomplished cricketers of all time and is often referred to as the "Little Master" or "Master Blaster."

Sachin Tendulkar's impact on cricket is immeasurable, and his under-19 days were the first stepping stones in his remarkable journey to cricketing greatness.

Sachin Tendulkar's journey in Under-19 cricket marked the early stages of his illustrious cricketing career. Here is a brief biography of Sachin Tendulkar's Under-19 cricket career:

[crazyyfilmyfreak]

NGl Cricket & Tennis were and still are my all time fav sports and thru out my whole life i have only been too religious and dedicated to them and i didn't really care much about Football ⚽️

BUT I HAVE ALWAYS ADMIRED LEO MESSI 🐐 SINCE I WAS A KID

I used to watch his matches on live sms and mostly used to watch his matches after they were done, his goals on youtube & always followed his interviews

i admire the utter brilliance of Superior Charm in his game and i love how magically skilful he is in the Ground, When ever i see him on a football ground it feels like God only gave me eyes so that i can witness this miracle of a player and how beautiful he is in the field 😭 and i have always admired and learnt a lot from his " Never Give Up attitude "

his Humbleness , His eagerness to win , his perfection, his hardwork , his dedication, his loyalty , His skill as player , The charm and charisma he brings to the table as a player , he's one of the most selfless player of all time and he always and always keeps his " TEAM " First and i could go on and on about all the other qualities which i admire in him and which made me fall in love with him as a player 💀

and i know all his achievements in the game

but there is sth that always killed me from inside not just me but every fan of messi has a peace of heart that's kinda not completely whole? there's some emptiness and that is the " WORLD CUP "

THE GREATEST CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY IN FOOTBALL and My 🐐 Messi deserved it a very long ago and i was scared he may not receive that trophy and i fucking didn't even knew this will be his last Wc journey so that not have a WC in his wardrobe was always killing me from inside but guess what

HE FUCKING HAS THAT TROPHY IN HIS HAND 😭😭😭❤❤❤ HE COMPLETED ALL THE ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE FOOTBALL AND HOW DID HE DO IT ??? OH BOY HE FUCKING DOMINATED THE GAME ITSELF & ROSE FROM THE ASHES LIKE A FUCKING PHOENIX & WON THE CUP FOR HIS COUNTRY , FOR HIMSELF & FOR HIS TEAM

How beautiful that is 😭❤

HIS CAREER IS COMPLETE NOW

WE THE FANS OF LEO MESSI HAVE NO EMPTINESS NO MORE IN OUR HEARTS AND ITS ONLY AND ONLY HAPPINESS ALL BECAUSE OF HIM

THANKS FOR EVERYTHING MY MESSI 🐐🐐🐐

THANKS FOR MAKING CHILDHOOD GREAT AND THANKS FOR THE ALL THE HAPPINESS AND SMILES YOU HAVE GIVEN ME OVER THE YEARS I LOVE YOU , I RESPECT YOU AND I ADMIRE YOU AND YOU WILL FOREVER BE THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME FOR ME 🐐🐐🐐 AND THERE IS NO DEBATE IN THAT YOU FUCKING ABSOLUTE BEAUTIFUL LEGEND

And Now i will not ask you for anything and not demand you for anything i will just and just celebrate you and cherish every fucking moment of yours on the field as a player and i really fucking hope and pray to the god that you will play for much much much much longer time 😭❤

Like the commentators said yesterday

" It's Like The Gods of Football really wanted their fav Son leo messi to win this greateat championship trophy of all time and they made him fought really hard af untill the very last moment and gave the trophy to him bcoz that's what he fucking deserves "

LEO MESSI .... MY MAN ... THE LEGEND .... THE MYTH ... THE GOAT 🐐 .... THE KING.... FOOTBALL IS COMPLETED NOW THANKS TO YOU AND I LOVE YOU SO FUCKING MUCH MY HERO 😭❤

AND LASTLY I AM SO GLAD THAT MY TEAM ARGENTINA HAS WON THE WC AND HOW THEY HAVE GIVEN THEIR EFFORTS & PUT THEIR LIFE INTO THE GAME THIS TIME TO WIN THE CUP FOR THEIR HERO MESSI & ALSO TO THEIR FANS ALL OVER THE WORLD THEY MADE ME HAPPY , THEY MADE ME CRY AND I AM SO FUCKING PROUD OF MY TEAM 😭❤

[pct-zindabad]

THE WRATH OF KHAN

Imran Khan is indisputably Pakistan’s greatest cricketer. As an all-rounder, he bears comparison with the best there have ever been, a skillful fast bowler and resourceful batsman with a solid defense. But all of them he was a great leader that he really stood out. If you see the history of Pakistan cricket, it shows that Pakistan is a notoriously difficult team to captain.

But he had the massive charisma and stature to unify them and drive them to play above themselves, and that is quite a talent. His finest hour was undoubtedly guiding Pakistan to their first World Cup triumph in 1992, top-scoring with 72 in the final against England at MCG in front of 87k spectators. Although, Imran’s famously imploring his team earlier in the tournament when their hopes hung by a thread to fight ‘like cornered tigers’.

But he has to his name several other outstanding achievements. Imran Khan-led Pakistan to their first Test series wins in both India 1986-87 – obviously a huge thing in his country – and England in 1987. He also led Pakistan to three drawn series in a row against West Indies when West Indies were at the height of their powers. Pakistan, in fact, were the first side to seriously challenge West Indian supremacy.

When they won Test Match at Guyana in 1988, then it was the first time in ten years that West Indies had lost a home Test. The major contribution of Imran Khan when he took 11 wickets in the game. In his career, Imran claimed 80 wickets at 21.18 apiece against West Indies, an incredible record given how strong they were at the time.

He scored some important runs against them too, notably in his final series against West Indies in 1990– 91 when he averaged 50.33 (his overall average against West Indies was 27.67). Imran, who led Pakistan on and off for ten years from 1982 to 1992, mentored some fine players during that period, notably fast bowlers Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, and Aaqib Javed.

Especially two w’s who swung the ball at pace even greater distances than he did. Imran had the bearing of a leader and for the most part, the players followed. Captaincy elevated his game to a striking degree, averaging 50.55 with the bat and 19.90 with the ball. He turned himself into a considerable bowler with an astonishing record inside Pakistan where visiting fast bowlers tended to find life desperately hard.

Imran himself took 163 wickets at 19.20 apiece there, a better record than he had elsewhere (his overall record was a hugely impressive 362 wickets in 88 Tests at 22.81 each; no one had taken more for Pakistan at the time he retired). Some of the famous players never faced him in Pakistan as he was nursing a stress fracture that prevented him from bowling for the best part of two years when toured therein 1983–84.

England encountered him in 1982 and 1987 and he was a major force both times. In three Tests in 1982, when we were perhaps a little fortunate to win the series 2–1, he scored 212 runs and took 21 wickets. However, he came to England with a passion to beat England in England in 1987. And he led the Pakistan side to do the first time.

In that series, he again took 21 wickets and was the match-winner with the ball in the one game that had a positive outcome at Headingly Leeds. Imran Khan bowling immaculately to take seven for 40 in the second innings. Imran, who was at Oxford in the early 1970s and from there joined Worcestershire, started out as a brisk medium-pacer but through determination and intelligence turned himself into a genuine fast bowler of quality. His two cousins Majid Khan and Javed Burki also led the Pakistan cricket team in the 1960s and 1970s.

Many cricketers remember facing him in one of their earliest games for Leicestershire at around the time he was stepping up his pace. It was the day after David Gower took an early exit from university and we were playing a Benson & Hedges Cup quarter-final at Worcester on a good old New Road pitch with pace and bounce. Gower was caught at slip off him and the ball carried a long way behind me, always a good measure of someone’s speed.

At the age of 18, he made a test debut against England at Edgbaston in 1971 but did not take a permanent place due to below-par performance. Hence, he continued to focus on his education and cricket in England and come back to the side in 1974 on the tour of England.

In county cricket in the period from the mid-1970s to mid-1980s, Imran would have been up there with Mike Procter and Malcolm Marshall as among the best at swinging the ball at pace. Perhaps the thing that completed his education was joining World Series, from which he emerged a far better bowler, learning from watching and working with so many other fine fast bowlers recruited by Kerry Packer. Imran Khan’s charismatic personality and athletic talent made him a popular celebrity all over the world.

In 1976, Imran took 6 for 63 and 6 for 102, for a match figure of 12 wickets to lead his country to 8 wickets win in the 3rdTest at Sydney. This spell surprises the whole Australian team and Pakistani dressing room. Before that match, he was having 9 test matches experience with 25 wickets under his belt with a heavy average of 43.52. Pakistan was trailing 0-1 in the tough series, but Imran’s hostile bowling spell makes Pakistan a marked ascent in the world of cricket.

In 1980, Imran Khan scored 123 runs in the first Test century against the powerful bowling attack of West Indies at Lahore. The years in which he played from 1980 to 1986, on either side of his lay-off for the stress fracture, he was taking his Test wickets at a very cheap cost. In 1982 he returned what remains the best match figures for Pakistan in Tests of 14 for 114 against Sri Lanka in Lahore. The following winter he took an incredible 40 wickets at 13.95 in six Tests against India.

What the Pakistan bowlers, led by Imran and Sarfraz Nawaz, seemed to understand better than everyone else was the mysterious art of swinging the old ball. Therefore, for a batsman, coping with anyone who could move the ball – whether old or new – both ways were always a challenge. You worked hard to get your runs.

The early 1980s was a great era for all-rounders with Imran Khan, Ian Botham, Richard Hadlee, and Kapil Dev all doing great things and rivaling each other for the status of top dog. In the 1987 Cricket World Cup, Khan decided to quit international cricket. But later, the Pakistan public and Zia-ul-Haq the Prime Minister requested him to take back his retirement. He could not reject the public appeal and return to international cricket until 1992.

In terms of bowling, Imran was perhaps consistently the quickest of them. Botham had times where he bowled with the same sort of pace, Hadlee could bowl a sharp delivery if needed but in comparison was slightly down on pace overall, and Kapil was brisker medium than brisk. But they all moved the ball in the air or hit the seam or both, and that was really what made them so difficult to face.

In July 1987, Imran became the first Pakistani bowler to take 300 wickets milestone during the 3rd Test vs England at Lords. If you see the stats, then Imran and Hadlee stood well out in front, averaging around 22 while Botham and Kapil took their wickets at a cost in the high 20s, a reflection really that they were unable to maintain their early brilliance into older age.

Ian Botham probably ranked first as a batsman but Imran, who began his career down the order, developed into a seriously good top-order player and accordingly ended up with six Test hundreds to his name (Botham made 14, Kapil eight, and Hadlee two). Imran kept on improving and became a world-class batsman in all forms.

Indeed, towards the end of his career, he was playing more as a batsman who bowled than a bowler who batted, and when he scored those runs in the 1992 World Cup final, he was batting at number 3. His Test record with the bat was highly respectable, an average of 37.69 comparing well to Botham’s 33.54, Kapil’s 31.05, and Hadlee’s 27.16.

Imran retired from all forms of cricket after winning the 1992 world cup. What gives Imran preeminence in this all-rounder fest is his stature as a leader of a national side that had previously lacked any direction. Since Imran, Pakistan cricket has rarely been stable. Talented players continue to be produced in extraordinary numbers given the absence of a coherent domestic structure.

But it has been engulfed in more than one corruption scandal, while a terrorist attack on a touring Sri Lanka team in 2009 has forced them since to set up a new home in the Middle East. Imran himself has entered politics in the ambitious hope of addressing his country’s many problems. After retirement, he entered politics and outspoken critic of government corruption in Pakistan.

Imran Khan laid the foundation of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in 1996. Imran Khan started a new journey into Pakistan politics and continued their efforts after badly failing in the 2002, and 2007 elections. Eventually, his efforts bring some happiness to his party becoming a strong candidate for the 2013 elections.

Even in one accident he badly injured his neck and back to falling from a platform at an election campaign rally. Therefore, his braveness in fighting against corruption & poverty won a plurality of seats in the July 2018 elections. Then he became the 22nd prime minister of Pakistan. The first cricketer to be knighted a prime minister of any country.

Imran Khan remains a philanthropist in the public eye. He has a great passion to build a cancer hospital after his mother died of those diseases in 1985. His wish was fulfilled by completing Shaukat Khanum Hospital in Lahore in 1994 named after Khan’s mother.

[redeyedroid]

Scots generally don't go much for cricket. Which I find odd, considering how consistently terrible England have been for most of my life. If there's one thing that brings the people of Scotland together, it's England losing at sport.

Cricket's eccentric as hell; the objectives often incomprehensible and bizarre, even to people who follow the game; it's impenetrable terminology has multiple ways of labeling the same things; the simple idea of who is winning and who is losing may be undiscernable for days; it can go on for five days and still end in a draw and they only decided to end matches like that because once, decades ago, a test match went on so long one team risked missing their boat back home; a series of five or more matches can go on for months; people are forced to keep playing long after the result has been decided; bowling and batting require completely different skills and techniques, yet some players master both; it's greatest trophy, The Ashes, is only contested by two nations and is, essentially, a self-deprecating shitpost; and one of the greatest memes of all time originates from a dropped catch in 2019.

But, because the people of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka love it like nothing else, it is the second most popular sport in the world. And I love it, too. Be it Mitchell Starc clean bowling Rory Burns with the first ball of the 2021/22 Ashes, beginning a series of quite staggering English ineptitude; or Virat Kohli, the greatest batter of this generation, hitting back-to-back sixes off Haris Rauf in front of 95,000 people at the Melbourne Cricket Ground while leading India to an extraordinary win against Pakistan at the 2022 T20 World Cup, cricket offers dramatic moments of brilliance with a regularity other sports struggle to match.

If you want an idea of exactly how popular cricket is in India, Kohli has 60 million more instagram followers than Brady, Serena and LeBron combined. His is the 16th most followed account in the world. The only sports stars with larger followings are Messi and Ronaldo. Like the greatest players in any sport, time appears to slow down around him when he's at his best, his balance and timing perfect as he makes an almost impossible task look like the easiest thing in the world (batters have a fraction of a second to react to a ball being bowled at them. Against the fastest bowlers, they might not even be able to see the ball at all, instead relying on triggers and clues and experience to hit it.)

I picked up a love for cricket from my dad, who himself picked it up one rainy summer afternoon (what do you think happens in summer in Scotland?) when he was young and there were only two TV channels. He loves the great West Indian team of the 1970s and 80s like no other. They're probably his favourite thing in sporting history. A found love, rather than the familial support for Hibs he inherited from his father.

(For that, I'd recommend the excellent documentary, Fire In Babylon. No knowledge is needed, beyond that in cricket, unlike baseball, there is no restriction against a bowler aiming at the batter's body. And the West Indian team had a succession of players who bowled at the speed of light and terrorised batters across the world. They also had, in Gordon Greenidge and Viv Richards, the two great batters of the - possibly any - era).

I missed much of their quarter century of dominance, being too young or not actually alive, but I do remember their last great bowlers, Courtney Walsh and Curtley Ambrose, while the great Trinidadian, Brian Lara, twice set records for the highest individual score in test cricket, first scoring 375, then an unbeaten 400, a record that still stands today and which may now never be bettered. Of course, both those scores came against England.

There was a lot of listening to cricket on the radio, driving places when we were on holiday in the summer. It was a summer sport then, coverage only following teams when they came to England. In the winter, when England went away, we got little, for this was the age before wall-to-wall sports TV.

For instance, I remember bits of Australia's 1993 Ashes rampage coinciding with daytrips along Hadrian's Wall, among other places, but I have no memory of the following, equally one-sided series in Australia in 1994/95.

Not that test cricket is at all rampageous, containing, as it does, breaks for lunch and tea, and even at it's most fast paced only has a ball bowled every 45 seconds or so, this being repeated about 500 times a day, with maybe 1 in 4 actually being scored from. You can miss great chunks of matches only to find nothing has fundamentally changed when you return. One man dressed in white hurls a small red ball at another, who most often declines the opportunity to hit it as it whizzes past. It is often as close to being a day-long nap as any sport can be.

Today, like football, the sport is played everywhere, all the time. The South Asian nations have spread it across the world, far beyond the borders of the British imperial possessions where the colonial administrators introduced it. Wherever there is a strong community of people from the subcontinent, cricket will be found and while there are less than a dozen full members of the ICC, there are now lots of associate members all competing against each other (the USA is the 18th-ranked men's ODI team, for example). There's almost always something to watch somewhere.

Powered by TV money (rights for the Indian Premier league are, on a per-game basis, now the second most expensive sporting event in the world, after the NFL) the compressed, high-scoring excitement of T20 has become the most popular format of cricket, which is bad for me. Because my preference is for the full-fat, slow-motion weirdness of a test match. It's what I grew up with and in my mind, the game is not for the swift. There's a reason they're called tests. The game should be an examination of technique and concentration and endurance that lasts for ages and ends with two poor bastards trying to scratch out a draw by batting for a day and a half because their side trails by 450 runs and the other 9 players on their team are idiots who got out in ridiculous ways. And then, after they inevitably fail, they do it again a week later. And maybe they lose horribly two more times and their team finds itself 3-0 down with two matches to play, but those matches still get played, even though they won't change the result of the series, because that's also part of the test. Or maybe it rains all summer and no matches are played, because the English, with maniac optimism, like to invent games that cannot be played if it's raining (see also: tennis).

I recognise that this is churlish of me. The women's game, like in so many other sports a niche afterthought, is being supercharged by an influx of cash from India, as the men's IPL has this year expanded into a women's tournament. The TV rights for this sold for £95m, the 5 franchises sold for half a billion. The top players - most players, probably - will make more from it than they do for the rest of the year. T20 is an extraordinary boost for the women's game, where tests are rarely played.

This is A Very Good Thing, but I'll always prefer tests.

Only three nations now have the economic power and talent pool to devote equal attention to all three formats of the game. Only England, India and Australia still play full test series against each other. The rest now play two- or maybe three-match series and only occasionally. The form the future of the game will take is in doubt. The West Indies might fracture amidst a proliferation of T20 franchise leagues, their players - naturally and understandably - touring the world and playing in half-a-dozen dozen leagues, their talents auctioned and drafted and paid far more than they get from tests.

But today I'm going to ignore the question marks about cricket's future and the maybe slow death of anything other than T20. Because today, one of the last remaining marquee matchups begins. Tomorrow, the women's T20 World Cup starts in South Africa. In a couple of months I will consume as much of the two IPLs as I can. In the summer, England will host Ashes series for both men and women that promise much. Australia's men currently holds the ridiculous little urn and are the top ranked side. England's men are actually very good right now and have many fine and likeable players, and a part of me finds that very irritating. Either or neither could win. For the other, England's women are also good, but Australia's are much gooder (for real. Ellyse Perry should be counted among the greatest female sports stars of all time. A world class bowler and batter, she has represented Australia at World Cups in both cricket and football).

All that is for tomorrow and beyond. Today, Australia's men begin a 4-match test series in India. India will probably win. It is incredibly hard to win anywhere as a touring team because weather and pitches vary a great deal from country to country and strongly favour the home team, no matter how lowly they are ranked. The West Indies comfortably beat England last year, and Australia struggled to a draw in Sri Lanka. And of all the places to tour, India is the hardest place to win of all. A series win in India is a rare and treasured thing.

The problem with touring India are the pitches. They are slow and dusty and - like most subcontinental tracks - favour the arcane arts of spin bowling, where a bowler uses his fingers or wrist to put spin on the ball in the hope that when it hits the pitch it grips and it's trajectory changes, deceiving the batter. Pitches are prepared to take advantage of this and push India's home field advantage as much as possible. Teams who play warm-up matches before tests in the hope of acclimatising will find placid, grassy pitches that offer not a hint of the demonic conditions the test series will likely bring. Cricket has never been a gentleman's game.

Australia have one, very very good spin bowler in Nathan Lyon and a number who are either untested or not good. They are likely to suffer against Indian batters who have known how to play spin since picking up a bat. India have Ravichandran Ashwin, also a very very good spinner, but in Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav they have several who are merely very good and likely to prosper against Australian batters who are less good away from Australia (Jadeja, injured for most of the last 6 months is arguably the best all-rounder in men's cricket today. A prodigiously talented bowler and batter, he is also among the best fielders in the men's game).

Australia have barely toured anywhere since the pandemic began, but their team has played very well at home and their glitchy batting goblins Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith are incredibly good. I have hope they make the series competitive (though for me, their approaches to batting are too angularly idiosyncratic compared to the gloriously pure techniques of Kohli and Babar Azam of Pakistan). But I also hope that Kohli finds form and has a series for the ages.

The man's due.

PS Old Deadspin did a decent primer on cricket years ago and you can still read it, if you don't mind giving the site clicks...

[news365timesindia]

[ad_1] Pat Cummins and Jasprit Bumrah at the trophy unveiling on the eve of the first Test between India and Australia at Optus Stadium in Perth. Photo: Debasis Sen/RevSportz   Subhayan Chakraborty at the Optus Stadium “5-0 to Australia,” said one local fan outside the Optus Stadium in Perth as the Indian team bus carrying a few players and coaching staff left the venue on the eve of the opening Test between the two top sides. “It could be reversed,” cheekily quipped an Indian fan waiting to catch a glimpse of the Indian players. The banter and anticipation is there to be seen. Not only among the fans, but it could get quite fiery between the two teams when play begins, and why not? The long-standing and storied rivalry between India and Australia is set to reach new heights as the two cricketing powerhouses face off in the first Test of the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy, starting Friday. It is a rare return to a series of this length between the sides, last seen more than three decades ago, and the stakes could not be higher. With the World No. 1 Test ranking, World Test Championship (WTC) standings, and legacies on the line, this clash promises to rewrite cricket books. India, the holders of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, have enjoyed a golden run in the rivalry, winning the last four series. This includes landmark back-to-back series victories in Australia in 2018/19 and 2020/21, the latter secured with a depleted squad in what many regard as one of the greatest comebacks in cricketing history. However, the visitors arrive in Perth bruised after an uncharacteristic 0-3 Test series defeat at home to New Zealand—a result that ended more than a decade of dominance on home soil. Australia, meanwhile, have been in imperious form. The World Test champions enter the series on the back of a stellar 2023 campaign, highlighted by victories over India in both the WTC Final and the 50-over World Cup. Boasting a formidable squad and an enviable record at home, Pat Cummins’ men are firm favourites, especially at the pace-friendly Optus Stadium, where they have won all four Tests played since the venue opened in 2018. India’s Challenges India’s preparations have been hampered by injuries and absences, starting with captain Rohit Sharma, who will miss the opener following the birth of his second child. Fast bowler Mohammed Shami is unavailable as he continues his recovery, while opener Shubman Gill, arguably one of India’s most consistent batters in recent times, is set to miss the Test with a thumb injury. These absentees have forced India to rejig their line-up. Jasprit Bumrah, India’s premier fast bowler, will lead the side in Rohit’s absence. KL Rahul is set to return to the opening slot despite his patchy form, partnering the exciting Yashasvi Jaiswal. DevduttPadikkal is expected to step into the pivotal No. 3 role, while the in-form Dhruv Jurel is poised to bat at No. 6 after impressive performances for India A against Australia A. It could be a double-edged sword for India. While the youngsters, in the recent times, have played some brave cricket, taking down the Aussies in their home is a different ball game altogether. The Indian bowling attack remains potent. Bumrah, backed by Mohammed Siraj, forms a lethal seam-bowling duo, with either of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin providing spin and control in the middle overs. While the batting lineup appears fragile, India’s bowlers have the ability to dictate terms, especially if they can make early inroads against Australia’s top order. Whether the exciting Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna can make a name for themselves in pace-friendly Australian conditions, with the Kookaburra, remains to be seen. Nitish Kumar Reddy, the 21 year old with barely any experience in red-ball cricket, is set to debut as India’s only pace-bowling all-rounder option. “We are very well prepared,”Bumrah said in the pre-match press conference. “We came here early, got some time at the WACA Ground, and a lot of the youngsters were coming here for the first time.

When we came here for the first time as well, we got less time than this, and we still ended up winning the series. I love the responsibility. I wanted to do the tough job ever since I was a child. Always wanted to be in the thick of things. I have a lot of faith in my instincts and gut. As for fast-bowling captains, Pat (Cummins) has done a phenomenal job.In the past for India, Kapil Dev did a fabulous job.” Australia’s Confidence Australia, in contrast, enjoys the luxury of a settled line-up. Nathan McSweeney, who has been in sublime form in the Sheffield Shield, will debut as opener alongside Usman Khawaja. The middle order, anchored by the prolific Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne, looks as solid as ever. Smith, in particular, thrives against India, averaging an extraordinary 83.23 in home Tests against them. The hosts’ bowling attack, spearheaded by captain Cummins, is well-suited to the Perth conditions. Cummins is ably supported by Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, with the ever-reliable Nathan Lyon offering spin options. Lyon’s record against India at home—60 wickets—makes him a key figure in breaking partnerships on what is likely to be a hard and bouncy wicket.Mitchell Marsh is set to be Australia’s medium-pace option, along with Marnus Labuschagne, who has switched to medium-pace bowling this season. “For about half in the change room, we haven’t won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, so it’s one of the last things to tick off,” said Cummins. “With every challenge that was thrown at us over the last few years, we have stepped up and done well. We know India is right up there with one of the best teams in the world, so we are excited. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy has always been very tight every series.Five Test-match series gets really attritional, it’s a big one really. There will always be pressure when you are playing at home. India are a very talented side and it will be a good challenge. But we are not looking too far ahead.” Key Battles to Watch Steve Smith vs Jasprit Bumrah: Smith’s record against India (2,042 runs at 65.87) underscores his dominance, but Bumrah has troubled him with pace and movement in the past. This battle could define the series. Virat Kohli vs Pat Cummins: Kohli, one of India’s finest batters in Australian conditions, will look to lead from the front. However, Cummins, who boasts 152 wickets at 19.69 in home Tests, will be eager to exploit any weaknesses. Australian openers vs Indian seamers: McSweeney and Khawaja must withstand the fiery opening spells of Bumrah and Siraj. Success here could lay the foundation for big totals. The Perth Factor Optus Stadium has become a fortress for Australia. Their last four wins here—by margins of 146, 296, 164, and 360 runs—highlight the challenge awaiting India. The pitch is expected to offer pace and bounce, favouring the quick bowlers, but the recent rain in Perth may prevent significant deterioration, making it a fairer contest for batters. It is going to be ‘Fast and Furious’, as per Western Australia head curator Isaac McDonald. Weather Forecast The weather in Perth may cause some early jitters, with a 25% chance of light morning showers on Day 1. However, interruptions are unlikely, and the pitch is expected to remain conducive to high-quality cricket throughout the match. Head-to-Head and Historical Context India and Australia have faced off in 107 Tests, with Australia holding the upper hand with 45 wins to India’s 32. On Australian soil, the disparity is more pronounced: Australia have won 30 of the 52 matches, with India claiming just nine victories. However, India’s recent record Down Under—winning the last two series—will give them confidence despite the odds. Players to Watch Virat Kohli: With 1,352 runs at an average of 54.08 in 13 Tests in Australia, Kohli’s performances could be pivotal in anchoring India’s batting. While his form has dipped in recent years, he remains capable of match-winning knocks. Marnus Labuschagne: Labuschagne’s consistency at home (2,623 runs at 62.

45) makes him a key player. His ability to adapt and build long innings could frustrate India’s bowlers. Nathan Lyon: With 259 wickets in 67 home Tests, Lyon’s role cannot be understated. His record against India, particularly in the middle overs, will be crucial in maintaining pressure. Who has the edge? On paper, Australia. A settled line-up, excellent form, and familiarity with home conditions makes them favourites, especially in Perth, where they have dominated. India, however, have a knack of defying expectations, as seen in their epic comeback in 2020/21. If Bumrah and Siraj can exploit the conditions early and Kohli or Rahul can produce a standout innings, India might challenge the hosts. But with their top order in transition and missing key players, the visitors face an uphill battle. Also watch:  Bharat Arun Exclusive “Jasprit Bumrah and the bowling unit just need to stick to their strengths,” says Bharat Arun on the potential of Indian bowlers ahead of the series Down Under. On Harshit Rana: “He is confident in his own abilities.” Arun also reflects on the… pic.twitter.com/wI55qTU4YC — RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) November 21, 2024 For more sports content: RevSportz The post Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Legacies on the line as India-Australia set for fiery Perth challenge appeared first on Sports News Portal | Latest Sports Articles | Revsports. [ad_2] Source link

[news365times]

[ad_1] Pat Cummins and Jasprit Bumrah at the trophy unveiling on the eve of the first Test between India and Australia at Optus Stadium in Perth. Photo: Debasis Sen/RevSportz   Subhayan Chakraborty at the Optus Stadium “5-0 to Australia,” said one local fan outside the Optus Stadium in Perth as the Indian team bus carrying a few players and coaching staff left the venue on the eve of the opening Test between the two top sides. “It could be reversed,” cheekily quipped an Indian fan waiting to catch a glimpse of the Indian players. The banter and anticipation is there to be seen. Not only among the fans, but it could get quite fiery between the two teams when play begins, and why not? The long-standing and storied rivalry between India and Australia is set to reach new heights as the two cricketing powerhouses face off in the first Test of the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy, starting Friday. It is a rare return to a series of this length between the sides, last seen more than three decades ago, and the stakes could not be higher. With the World No. 1 Test ranking, World Test Championship (WTC) standings, and legacies on the line, this clash promises to rewrite cricket books. India, the holders of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, have enjoyed a golden run in the rivalry, winning the last four series. This includes landmark back-to-back series victories in Australia in 2018/19 and 2020/21, the latter secured with a depleted squad in what many regard as one of the greatest comebacks in cricketing history. However, the visitors arrive in Perth bruised after an uncharacteristic 0-3 Test series defeat at home to New Zealand—a result that ended more than a decade of dominance on home soil. Australia, meanwhile, have been in imperious form. The World Test champions enter the series on the back of a stellar 2023 campaign, highlighted by victories over India in both the WTC Final and the 50-over World Cup. Boasting a formidable squad and an enviable record at home, Pat Cummins’ men are firm favourites, especially at the pace-friendly Optus Stadium, where they have won all four Tests played since the venue opened in 2018. India’s Challenges India’s preparations have been hampered by injuries and absences, starting with captain Rohit Sharma, who will miss the opener following the birth of his second child. Fast bowler Mohammed Shami is unavailable as he continues his recovery, while opener Shubman Gill, arguably one of India’s most consistent batters in recent times, is set to miss the Test with a thumb injury. These absentees have forced India to rejig their line-up. Jasprit Bumrah, India’s premier fast bowler, will lead the side in Rohit’s absence. KL Rahul is set to return to the opening slot despite his patchy form, partnering the exciting Yashasvi Jaiswal. DevduttPadikkal is expected to step into the pivotal No. 3 role, while the in-form Dhruv Jurel is poised to bat at No. 6 after impressive performances for India A against Australia A. It could be a double-edged sword for India. While the youngsters, in the recent times, have played some brave cricket, taking down the Aussies in their home is a different ball game altogether. The Indian bowling attack remains potent. Bumrah, backed by Mohammed Siraj, forms a lethal seam-bowling duo, with either of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin providing spin and control in the middle overs. While the batting lineup appears fragile, India’s bowlers have the ability to dictate terms, especially if they can make early inroads against Australia’s top order. Whether the exciting Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna can make a name for themselves in pace-friendly Australian conditions, with the Kookaburra, remains to be seen. Nitish Kumar Reddy, the 21 year old with barely any experience in red-ball cricket, is set to debut as India’s only pace-bowling all-rounder option. “We are very well prepared,”Bumrah said in the pre-match press conference. “We came here early, got some time at the WACA Ground, and a lot of the youngsters were coming here for the first time.

When we came here for the first time as well, we got less time than this, and we still ended up winning the series. I love the responsibility. I wanted to do the tough job ever since I was a child. Always wanted to be in the thick of things. I have a lot of faith in my instincts and gut. As for fast-bowling captains, Pat (Cummins) has done a phenomenal job.In the past for India, Kapil Dev did a fabulous job.” Australia’s Confidence Australia, in contrast, enjoys the luxury of a settled line-up. Nathan McSweeney, who has been in sublime form in the Sheffield Shield, will debut as opener alongside Usman Khawaja. The middle order, anchored by the prolific Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne, looks as solid as ever. Smith, in particular, thrives against India, averaging an extraordinary 83.23 in home Tests against them. The hosts’ bowling attack, spearheaded by captain Cummins, is well-suited to the Perth conditions. Cummins is ably supported by Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, with the ever-reliable Nathan Lyon offering spin options. Lyon’s record against India at home—60 wickets—makes him a key figure in breaking partnerships on what is likely to be a hard and bouncy wicket.Mitchell Marsh is set to be Australia’s medium-pace option, along with Marnus Labuschagne, who has switched to medium-pace bowling this season. “For about half in the change room, we haven’t won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, so it’s one of the last things to tick off,” said Cummins. “With every challenge that was thrown at us over the last few years, we have stepped up and done well. We know India is right up there with one of the best teams in the world, so we are excited. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy has always been very tight every series.Five Test-match series gets really attritional, it’s a big one really. There will always be pressure when you are playing at home. India are a very talented side and it will be a good challenge. But we are not looking too far ahead.” Key Battles to Watch Steve Smith vs Jasprit Bumrah: Smith’s record against India (2,042 runs at 65.87) underscores his dominance, but Bumrah has troubled him with pace and movement in the past. This battle could define the series. Virat Kohli vs Pat Cummins: Kohli, one of India’s finest batters in Australian conditions, will look to lead from the front. However, Cummins, who boasts 152 wickets at 19.69 in home Tests, will be eager to exploit any weaknesses. Australian openers vs Indian seamers: McSweeney and Khawaja must withstand the fiery opening spells of Bumrah and Siraj. Success here could lay the foundation for big totals. The Perth Factor Optus Stadium has become a fortress for Australia. Their last four wins here—by margins of 146, 296, 164, and 360 runs—highlight the challenge awaiting India. The pitch is expected to offer pace and bounce, favouring the quick bowlers, but the recent rain in Perth may prevent significant deterioration, making it a fairer contest for batters. It is going to be ‘Fast and Furious’, as per Western Australia head curator Isaac McDonald. Weather Forecast The weather in Perth may cause some early jitters, with a 25% chance of light morning showers on Day 1. However, interruptions are unlikely, and the pitch is expected to remain conducive to high-quality cricket throughout the match. Head-to-Head and Historical Context India and Australia have faced off in 107 Tests, with Australia holding the upper hand with 45 wins to India’s 32. On Australian soil, the disparity is more pronounced: Australia have won 30 of the 52 matches, with India claiming just nine victories. However, India’s recent record Down Under—winning the last two series—will give them confidence despite the odds. Players to Watch Virat Kohli: With 1,352 runs at an average of 54.08 in 13 Tests in Australia, Kohli’s performances could be pivotal in anchoring India’s batting. While his form has dipped in recent years, he remains capable of match-winning knocks. Marnus Labuschagne: Labuschagne’s consistency at home (2,623 runs at 62.

45) makes him a key player. His ability to adapt and build long innings could frustrate India’s bowlers. Nathan Lyon: With 259 wickets in 67 home Tests, Lyon’s role cannot be understated. His record against India, particularly in the middle overs, will be crucial in maintaining pressure. Who has the edge? On paper, Australia. A settled line-up, excellent form, and familiarity with home conditions makes them favourites, especially in Perth, where they have dominated. India, however, have a knack of defying expectations, as seen in their epic comeback in 2020/21. If Bumrah and Siraj can exploit the conditions early and Kohli or Rahul can produce a standout innings, India might challenge the hosts. But with their top order in transition and missing key players, the visitors face an uphill battle. Also watch:  Bharat Arun Exclusive “Jasprit Bumrah and the bowling unit just need to stick to their strengths,” says Bharat Arun on the potential of Indian bowlers ahead of the series Down Under. On Harshit Rana: “He is confident in his own abilities.” Arun also reflects on the… pic.twitter.com/wI55qTU4YC — RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) November 21, 2024 For more sports content: RevSportz The post Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Legacies on the line as India-Australia set for fiery Perth challenge appeared first on Sports News Portal | Latest Sports Articles | Revsports. [ad_2] Source link

[crickpicks11]

Crick Picks Cricket Stories | Uncover Cricket’s Rich History & Legendary Stories

Cricket Stories and History by Crick Picks

Cricket is more than just a sport; it’s a legacy of remarkable stories, legendary players, and unforgettable matches. Over the years, cricket has woven itself into the fabric of many cultures, creating countless memorable moments that continue to inspire fans. At Crickpicks Cricket stories, we delve into these cricket stories and the game’s fascinating history to bring you closer to the players, matches, and turning points that shaped cricket into the game we love today.

The Evolution of Cricket: A Brief History

The origins of cricket can be traced back to the 16th century in England, where it started as a simple pastime among children before evolving into an internationally beloved sport. Cricket grew in popularity across England and later spread to other parts of the British Empire. By the late 18th century, it had gained enough traction to host competitive matches, and soon after, the first-ever international cricket match was held in 1844 between the United States and Canada.

The formation of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 1909 laid the groundwork for structured international competition, and since then, cricket has grown to encompass multiple formats, including Test, One Day Internationals (ODIs), and Twenty20 (T20). Each format has contributed uniquely to cricket’s legacy, adding new layers of excitement and strategy. Crick Picks explores these pivotal moments and offers insights into how each format has shaped the game we know today.

Iconic Cricket Stories That Shaped the Game

Cricket’s history is filled with unforgettable stories. Here are some of the most iconic cricket tales that every fan should know:

1. The Ashes: England vs. Australia Rivalry

The story of "The Ashes" dates back to 1882 when Australia defeated England on English soil at The Oval, causing an uproar among English fans. A mock obituary appeared in the press, declaring that English cricket had died and “the body will be cremated, and the ashes taken to Australia.” The rivalry that ensued between England and Australia gave birth to the Ashes series, which remains one of the most thrilling and fiercely contested series in Cricket history and stories.

2. Sir Don Bradman’s Legendary Career

Sir Don Bradman, widely considered the greatest batsman of all time, left an indelible mark on cricket. His career batting average of 99.94 remains unmatched and is regarded as one of the sport’s greatest achievements. Bradman’s story is one of discipline, skill, and an uncanny ability to dominate bowlers. Crick Picks explores how Bradman’s journey inspired generations of cricketers and set standards that still challenge the best players today.

3. The Miracle of 1983: India’s World Cup Victory

India’s first World Cup win in 1983 changed cricket forever. Led by Kapil Dev, the Indian team’s triumph over the mighty West Indies at Lord’s inspired a new wave of cricket fans across India and cemented cricket as the country’s favorite sport. This victory is more than just a cricket story—it’s a moment of national pride and unity. Crick Picks revisits the key moments from that tournament and how it transformed the Indian cricket landscape.

4. South Africa’s Comeback to International Cricket

After years of isolation due to apartheid, South Africa returned to international cricket in 1991. This re-entry marked a new chapter for cricket, as South Africa quickly established itself as a powerhouse. Their emotional return led to memorable games and the emergence of players like Hansie Cronje and Jonty Rhodes. Crick Picks dives into the emotional and competitive aspects of South Africa’s re-emergence and their subsequent impact on world cricket.

5. Sachin Tendulkar: The Master Blaster’s Journey

Known as the "God of Cricket" in India, Sachin Tendulkar’s career spanned 24 years, filled with records, unmatched dedication, and unforgettable innings. His story is one of resilience, humility, and sheer talent. From his debut as a 16-year-old prodigy to his 100th international century, Crick Picks shares Tendulkar’s journey and examines his lasting impact on global cricket.

6. The Rise of T20 Cricket

The introduction of the T20 format in the early 2000s brought a new energy to the game, making it faster and more spectator-friendly. This format gave rise to leagues like the Indian Premier League (IPL), where international stars play together, creating new opportunities for young players. T20 has revolutionized cricket, and Crick Picks covers the journey of this format, exploring how it has reshaped the sport and introduced it to a broader audience.

Legends of Cricket: Profiles of Iconic Players

Some players have left a legacy so profound that their stories continue to inspire. Here are a few legends whose stories are essential for any cricket fan:

Sir Vivian Richards: Known for his fearless batting and charismatic style, Sir Vivian Richards dominated bowlers worldwide and led the West Indies to success in the 1970s and 80s.

Imran Khan: The charismatic leader of Pakistan’s 1992 World Cup-winning team, Imran Khan inspired his team to an improbable victory. His leadership and all-round skills made him a cricket legend and national hero.

Shane Warne: The Australian leg-spinner revolutionized spin bowling with his mesmerizing skills, ending his career as one of the greatest bowlers of all time. Warne’s story is one of talent, controversy, and undeniable impact.

Brian Lara: Known for his flamboyant style and record-breaking performances, Brian Lara set multiple records, including the highest individual score in Test cricket. His journey is a testament to the artistry of batting.

Memorable Matches: Games that Left a Mark

Cricket history has witnessed several thrilling matches, but a few stand out for their intensity and impact:

The Tied Test of 1960 (Australia vs. West Indies): This was the first-ever tied Test, played between Australia and West Indies at Brisbane. The match was a roller-coaster of emotions, with both teams battling till the last ball, ending in a historic tie that left fans spellbound.

1999 World Cup Semi-Final (Australia vs. South Africa): Known as one of the most dramatic matches in World Cup history, this game saw South Africa fall short in a tied result that sent Australia to the finals due to a net run rate advantage.

2001 Kolkata Test (India vs. Australia): After following on, India staged an incredible comeback, with VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid’s iconic partnership turning the game. This Test victory remains one of the most celebrated moments in Indian cricket history.

The 2019 World Cup Final (England vs. New Zealand): This match, played at Lord’s, ended in a tie, leading to a super over that was also tied. England was declared the winner based on the boundary count rule, sparking debate and excitement worldwide.

The Future of Cricket: New Stories in the Making

Cricket continues to evolve with new players, formats, and strategies. The growth of leagues, the popularity of T20s, and the expansion into non-traditional cricketing nations show that cricket’s story is far from over. Crick Picks is committed to covering emerging trends, young stars, and evolving dynamics to keep fans engaged with the latest developments in cricket’s ongoing story.

Why Cricket Stories Matter

The stories behind the players, the matches, and the records add depth to the game, turning it into a shared experience for fans worldwide. These narratives inspire young players, foster a sense of unity among fans, and give the sport its unique identity. At Crick Picks, we believe in celebrating these stories to connect fans more deeply with the game they love.

Conclusion

Cricket is rich in history, tales of perseverance, and incredible displays of skill. Crick Picks is dedicated to exploring these stories and sharing them with fans who want to go beyond the scores and statistics. Whether it’s learning about cricket legends, revisiting iconic matches, or understanding the impact of historic moments, Crick Picks is here to bring you closer to the heart of the game.

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