These days cricket is soon losing out the tag of being a “Gentleman’s Game”.With all the sledging and banter on the field taking the sheen off the respectable game, today we look at 7 gestures that prove cricket is still a gentleman’s game:
1) Andrew Strauss recalling Angelo Matthews:
Andrew Strauss recalled Angelo Mathews back to the crease after Mathews was run out following a collision with Graham Onions. Mathews was visibly unhappy as he walked back to the dressing room but was eventually called back by the English captain. This gesture by Andrew Strauss was a very brave move and it was praised by one and all.
2) Sachin Tendulkar’s Lord’s Long Room Walk
The match between the MCC XI and the ROW XI celebrating the centenary of MCC saw another memorable event. The video showing the ovation received by Sachin Tendulkar from the members as he walked out to bat is a sight to behold for cricket lovers.
3) Andrew Flintoff consoling Brett Lee
The occasion was one of cricket’s most closely fought rivalries; The Ashes. Australia lost out to England in a closely fought match in Birmingham but the match was especially remembered for Flintoff’s gesture when he went up to Brett Lee and consoled him as Lee sat distraught in the middle of the pitch. This move was hailed by all in the cricketing fraternity.
4) Dhoni recalling Ian Bell
One of the most bizarre incidents in cricket, Ian Bell was “run-out” just at the stroke of tea. It so happened that Bell left his crease anticipating that the umpire had called over but as it turned out the ball was not ‘dead’ as yet and Bell was adjudged run out in controversial conditions. The captain and the coach of the England team then went to the Indian dressing room during the interval to ask Dhoni to take back the appeal. The Indian captain obliged and out came Bell after the break to resume his innings.
5) Robin Uthappa’s unselfish knock to let Rohit Sharma reach his World Record score:
6) David Warner’s gesture for Phil Hughes:
David Warner kissed the Sydney Cricket Ground when he reached the score of 63 during the fourth Test Match against India. 63* was the score when Phil Hughes got hit and tragically passed away.
7) Dhoni blocks the last ball of the over to let Kohli hit the winning runs
The occasion was the semi final of the t20 world cup versus South Africa. Dhoni defended the last ball of the 19th over to let Kohli hit the winning runs as he was the man who had brought India to the footsteps of victory and Dhoni rightly let him hit the winning runs.
I tell you, there are good people too!
By Ashirbad Hazarika
