Cricket is a demanding sport. The pressure of winning often overrides all the emotions. In the quest to excel, elite athletes often forget the very reason they play the sport for. They tend to resort to unfair means. But there are certain exceptions (players) who display exceptional spirit even under the toughest of situations. Here is Spirit Of Cricket Moments.
We look at 5 such memorable moments when cricketers played with outstanding sporting spirit:
#5 MS Dhoni’s decision to recall Ian Bell
During the 2nd Test of the 2011 series, Ian Bell had walked out of his crease while on 137 without noticing that the ball was still in play and not dead. An Indian fielder riding the boundary was quick to spot this and dislodged the bails. The Indians appealed and Bell was adjudged run out as the umpires called for tea immediately. Fans in the stadium started booing the Indian team.
During the break, the England team management approached Dhoni and requested him to consider withdrawing the appeal. The Indian skipper generously obliged and Bell was seen walking out to bat post-tea. The audience surprised at this gesture applauded the decision.
#4 Adam Gilchrist walks in the World Cup semifinal
Adam Gilchrist was an impulsive walker. He didn’t wait for the umpires to make a decision. The moment he touched a ball he would walk away graciously. During the 2003 World Cup semifinal against Sri Lanka, Gilchrist had nicked one behind to the keeper. Aravinda de Silva, the bowler, and Kumar Sangakkara, the keeper went in for a vociferous appeal. Umpire Rudi Koertzen was unmoved. But to everyone’s surprise, Gilchrist had already started walking.
#3 Imran Khan asked the umpire to reconsider his decision
In an ODI featuring Pakistan and India at Lahore, the umpire adjudged Kris Srikanth LBW. Srikanth was quite sure that he wasn’t out and started walking disconsolately. That is when Imran Khan took the cricketing world by surprise. He asked the umpire to reconsider his decision. The umpire did not hesitate in calling Srikanth back. Khan’s sporting gesture keeping in mind India-Pakistan’s political crisis was a wonderful moment.
#2 Andrew Flintoff consoling Brett Lee
The 2nd Ashes Test at Edgbaston in 2005 was one of the best ever Test matches. England went on to win the nail-biting thriller by 2 runs. The England team were jubilant while Australian batting pair, Brett Lee and Michael Kasprowicz were in their haunches. They were dejected after having fought so valiantly. In that very moment, Andrew Flintoff, the architect of the English win went on his knees to console Lee. It was a picture for the ages!
#1 Grant Elliott consoling Dale Steyn at the 2015 World Cup
Grant Elliott hit the winning six for New Zealand in an epic semifinal against South Africa in the 2015 World Cup. With that shot, he dashed a million African hopes. It was potentially the last World Cup for many South African legends. All these superstars were heartbroken. They couldn’t hold back their tears on the loss and cried inconsolably. Dale Steyn who bowled the last over was on the floor and couldn’t hide his emotions. Elliott in a moment of fantastic sporting brilliance extended his hand to console Steyn. It was arguably the most beautiful moment of the 2015 World Cup.
Also read: Ranked: 4 Luckiest Indian Cricketers
