THE STORY OF CRICKET

Depending on your mindset – cricket can mean one of two things. A small leaping insect that chirrups annoyingly in the nigh or a sport of gentlemen that spans and unites the sub-continent, with huge numbers of followers and massive commercial appeal.

TEST MATCH THIS WEEKEND

Yes – if you know your anchor from your angler, and your cow-corner from your crease – we’ll bet you’re gearing up for the 3rd test between England and Pakistan at the Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium, Sharjah.

Scheduled November 1st it promises to be a real humdinger. In the last match Pakistan won by 178 runs, with batsman Joe Root admitting, “We’ve got a huge amount of talent in the dressing room, but England weren’t good enough. Pakistan bowled really well at us and we weren't disciplined.”

The stats bear this out, with The tourists collapsing from 182-3 overnight to 242 all out in the morning, with Pakistan then progressing to 222-3 at stumps - a lead of 358 runs.

There’s a lot of work to do this weekend….

HOW IT ALL STARTED

The expansion of the British Empire is behind the popularity of the game. Along with roads, civilisation and afternoon teas, the English brought cricket, which seized the locals’ imagination and united the sub-Continent.

The first match was recorded in India around 1721 – between a group of sailors in Western India. India’s inaugural match with England at Lords, attracted 24,000 strong crowd which included the King of England, who was also then the Emperor of India.

India had to wait until 1952 to record its first ever Test victory. India beat England by an innings in Madras. The game is now the country’s most popular sport –with ‘celebrity’ cricketers now some of the most influential and wealthiest people in society.

India Team Facts:

First recorded match in 1721
• Joined Test countries in 1932
• First Test victory in 1952
• World Cup winners in 1983

Of course, there was intense rivalry between India and Pakistan – its newly-created neighbour, with the teams clashing during 1952 when Pakistan visited –

Pakistan Team Facts:

Gained Test status in 1952
• First Test win in 1954
• Won the World Cup in 1992

Unlike India, Pakistan managed to record their first ever win within a mere two years in 1954.

As India and Pakistan went to war in 1960, cricket matches were suspended. It was just the beginning of a series of suspensions to come. Pakistan still remain the only team to beat England in their first ever tour to the cricket’s birth place.

HALL OF FAME:

1960s –India saw brilliant new talent in the form of Bedi, Prasanna, Pataudi and Chandrasekar,

1970s - Sunil Gavaskar dominated the batting in world cricket during the 1970s and still holds the world record for the most centuries in Test cricket.
Imran Khan, also dominated bowling but was also a superb all-rounder.

THE TEAMS FOR CURRENT PLAY:

England Squad: Alastair Cook, Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Ian Bell, Jos Buttler, Steven Finn, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Gary Ballance, Stuart Broad, Adam Lyth, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood

Pakistan Squad: Ahmed Shehzad, Anwar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Irfan, Sarfraz Ahmed, Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Akmal, Yasir Shah, Azhar Ali, Saad Nasim, Sami Aslam, Rahat Ali, Junaid Khan, Mukhtar Ahmed, Shoaib Malik, Babar Azam, Ehsan Adil, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Rizwan, Aizaz Khan, Haseeb Amjad, Irfan Ahmed, Jonty Jenner, Nat Watkins, Aamir Kaleem, Sufyan Mehmood, Bilal Asif