Published: Mar 16, 2015, 12:33 PM (IST)
Edited: Mar 16, 2015, 12:33 PM (IST)
1. Yohan Blake
The Jaimacan sprinter once gave tough competition to the fastest man on Earth — Usain Bolt. However, the 2012 London Olympic Games 100-metres and 200-metres silver medallist has has expressed his love for cricket over time. Blake was a fast bowler in school and it was one day that the school Principal noticed how fast he ran to the wicket to bowl, that he suggested the sprinter to try sprinting.
2. CP Snow
The British chemist and novelist have served many influential diplomatic positions in the British Civil Service and UK government. Arunabha Sengupta, Cricket Historian and Chief Cricket Writer for CricketCountry, writes about Snow’s adventures with cricket.
3. Harold Larwood.
Larwood’s story is one that is known to every fan of the sport. The Nottinghamshire legend is near-synonymous to the word Bodyline. A man with a background that lay in the darkest of coal pits, Larwood found his mojo in the sport. It was cricket that made a great out of a mortal.
4. Cyrus Broacha
In a country, where cricket is a religion, it is hard to find one single person, who once in their life have done something extreme to watch a match of cricket. Cyrus Broacha, celebrated Indian comedian, says something which many Indian men can relate to.
5. GH Hardy
Hardy, legendary mathematician whose contribution to number theory and mathematical analysis is next to few, is known more to Indians as the mentor of Srinivasa Ramanujan. An avid fan of the sport, Hardy had once mentioned that Archimedes, Newton, and Gauss belonged to the Hobbs Class, while a class above them — however difficult to imagine — may be probable. He called it The Bradman Class.
6. Harold Pinter
This English influential dramatist and actor and director’s love for cricket was quite well known by now. In his last interview as reported by The Guardian, Pinter talks about his love for cricket. “I first watched cricket during The War. At one point we were all evacuated from our house when there was an air raid. We opened the door and our garden, with this large lilac tree, was alight all along the back wall. We were evacuated straight away, though not before I took my cricket bat. I used to get up at five in the morning and play cricket. I had a great friend who is still going — he lives in Australia — called Mick, Mick Goldstein. He used to live around the corner from me in Hackney, and we were very close to the River Lea, and there were fields. We walked down to the fields; there’d be nobody about — it would really very early in the morning, and there would be a tree we used as a wicket. We would take it in turns to bat and bowl; we would be Lindwall, Miller, Hutton and Compton. That was the life.”
7. Peter O’Toole
Not many know that the famous Lawrence of Arabia actor was also a cricketer and a coach. O’Toole was quite regularly seen giving cricket lessons when he was not acting or directing. When the actor passed away, even former Pakistan World Cup-winning captain Imran Khan remembered him.
Down memory lane. Peter O’Toole, who passed away, loved cricket & wld join in when I practiced at Lords indoor nets. pic.twitter.com/3zrWWksBiM
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) December 16, 2013
8. Jeffrey Archer
If you think you are the only one following Team India’s progress in the World Cup, think again. Celebrated author Jeffrey Archer was heard recently praising Team India and also mentioning that the side had chances of defending their ICC Cricket World Cup title. In 2013, Archer also went on to express that he finds Virender Sehwag more exciting that Viv Richards. Such is the man’s interest in cricket!
9. Virat Kohli
How important can a sport or an extracurricular activity be that one would delay his or her father’s funeral and last rites? Virat Kohli lost his father when he was playing a First-Class match against Karnataka. He scored 90 in the match and after stumps went to the funeral directly. The then Delhi captain Mithun Manhas said, “That is an act of great commitment to the team and his innings turned out to be crucial. Hats off to his attitude and determination.”
10. AB de Villiers
Rarely have we seen an opposition team member come ahead and promote another team’s match — that, too, a Cricket World Cup match! This happened in ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 match when Ireland took the world by storm by defeating England in what still remains one of the most thrilling World Cup matches. AB de Villiers could not control his excitement and took to Twitter, urging everyone to watch the England-Ireland match. That is what a game of cricket does to you! Irrespective of caste, creed, colour, sex and boundaries!
11. Sachin Tendulkar
It is better if nothing is said at all. Let, The Little Master have the last word.
(Sudatta Mukherjee is a reporter with CricketCountry. Other than writing on cricket, she spends penning random thoughts on her blog. When she is not writing, you will catch her at a movie theatre or watching some English television show on her laptop. Her Twitter handle is @blackrosegal)
