Whether it’s a specific player that has made you an active follower of the tournaments (we don’t blame you, Naseem’s fangirls), a specific rivalry which makes you put everything on hold and stand anxiously in front of the TV, or just gathering with your friends in the neighborhood to play street cricket— no matter what your reason for loving the game is—there’s something about it that we can all collectively agree on: cricket is a game of unspoken class and elegance. Little did the children in a small village of south east England know that their game ‘creckett’, starting from a small plot of land, would later be played on 22 yard pitches, becoming a beloved sport worldwide and coming to be famously known as ‘A Gentleman’s Game.’
(R.I.P. John Derrick, you would have adored Babar Azam’s cover drive just as much as we do.)
It is a game in which a player’s character is allowed to shine through by how well the player adheres not just to the laws of the game, but also to the spirit of it. Over the years, teams have won their nations’ respect not only by the amount of victories they have achieved, but more importantly their presence and behavior in the field. (Not you, Afghanistan, you still have a lot to learn.)
Although we are living in a time where cricket’s credibility to be called by this title is being questioned due to certain instances when petty and disrespectful behaviors were displayed on the pitch, those who heartily respect cricket’s unwritten moral code of ethics continue to maintain its true essence.
Moments such as fielders choosing not to run out the batsman because the latter slipped while running, captains from the fielding team calling the batsmen back out because the batsmen thought they weren’t out, the fielding team applauding an opposing batsman’s century, players running towards their injured opponents showing care for them, patting them on the shoulder or helping them get back up–these are the moments which make the game of cricket one of outstanding class and spirit.
Such class was shown during the recent World Cup match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Hyderabad. Not only did Pakistan break a world record for the highest run chase in World Cup matches, but our batsmen put on a beautiful performance as they countered two centuries scored by the Sri Lankan players by scoring two of their own as a response.
Muhammad Rizwan, despite his cramped leg and back, put up an unbelievable fight and did not leave the ground until Pakistan had won. There was a moment when he fell because of the cramp right after he hit a huge six, followed by the commentator’s humorous remark, ‘He’s still hurting, and he’s hurting Sri Lanka!’
Abdullah Shafique, a young Pakistani player who broke a national record of being the first Pakistani batsman to score a hundred in his World Cup debut, performed with incredible composure—considering this was only his fifth ODI—remaining focused and not getting carried away, despite having the game completely in his control at one point.
But of course, a cricket match is only complete with moments that show the spirit of the players on the field. Iftikhar Ahmed (or famously known as ‘Ifti Chachu‘) tying the Sri Lankan batsman’s shoelaces had the whole crowd rightly cheering for this sweet gesture. Sri Lankan wicket keeper, Sadeera, immediately coming to the aid of Rizwan when he fell down because of his cramped leg, Babar gifting his jersey to the ground staff of Hyderabad– these warm gestures might be little but hold special importance in a game and unite fans from different nations as they admire such instances together. This excellence, in skill and in character, goes hand in hand to make a game worth watching.
The Gentlemen of Cricket’s Greatest Rivalry
You would think that the 2023 Asia Cup matches being a total of 50 overs for each inning would’ve been enough to spread out the suspense evenly throughout one game. But no one anticipated that the rain had bigger plans, dragging the most important match of the tournament over three days, with a gap of one week in between. (Taking the phrase ‘never let them know your next move’ to another level here.)
And although this led to some very memorable moments between the blue and green teams—the ones that Shadab and Virat shared with each other (of course, followed by endless memes of the players’ ‘undying bond’ which kept the fans entertained during the rain delays)— there have been quite a few instances in the past when both teams embodied the basis upon which cricket was established in the first place: fair play.
Pakistan and India are known for having shared a magnificent history of amazing cricket, but one of the most iconic moments (and my personal favorite) took place during the golden times of cricket. On December 22nd in 1989, during an ODI match between the two teams in Lahore, Indian batsman Krishnamachari Srikkanth had to walk because of a Waqar Younis delivery being adjudged an LBW. However, Srikkanth was certain that the ball was misjudged, and that his wicket hadn’t been taken.
This was during Imran Khan’s glorious years of captaincy and so, showing his spirit as a captain and respect for the player, he called Srikkanth back on the field to bat again. And as if that wasn’t iconic enough, the batsman had to leave at the very next ball since it got caught behind him with zero doubt surrounding it this time.
But times have changed and after 2007, we rarely got to witness such moments between the two teams as they no longer get to play test match series with each other. However, whenever they do compete against each other on the field, their mutual regard for each other is evident and the players are often seen engaging in light-hearted conversations post match. And as I (obviously) end this with another #Virdab meme, let us hope that the game of cricket never loses its values and spirit; for that is what gives this sport its identity and makes it worthy to be called ‘A Gentleman’s Game.’
By Noor Fatima Shahjahan
Writer (Team 2023-2024)
Note: the views expressed in the article solely belong to the writer and do not reflect TLC.