The Essence of Cricket
Commercialization of Cricket
Most exciting Hat-tricks in International Cricket
Cricket - the changing faces
Future of Indian Cricket - No signs of good fortunes
Cricket is a game of skill and temperament. Its a game that builds character. Being an English man I feel proud of the fact the my forefathers introduced this game to the world. Its known as the gentleman's game and the reason for this statement is known in the players who play this game while upholding the values this game seeks to instill. You don't need much to start playing this game in your street.
A couple of cricket bats, a cricket ball and something to use as the wicket (say a garbage can :)), you are all set to play cricket. There are nations like India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan where cricket players where selected from the slums and streets, players who in their childhood did not have enough money to buy a ball of their own grow up to become legends of the game.
The best players have one thing in common, that is temperament. The will to stick it out and set a huge value to your wicket is a thing of character. You don't find a sense of contentment in your half century or even you century you play till you have it you to play without losing you wicket, that's the stuff great players are made of.
I've known players who have entered the field after the bowlers breaks their thumb or index finger to go on to make a century, it requires a lot of guts. When you see a bowler charging in with vengeance and hurling the ball at you with the intention of breaking your wickets into bits, you need every ounce of character to stick in and play it out.
Sachin Tendulkar, a little man from India, proved to the world that age is no factor to be considered to determine the temperament and character of a player by facing the rock solid English attach in the 1980s while he was just 16 years old. The English bowlers bowled with the purpose of scaring the hell out of him, most of the balls were bouncers and several hit his helmet. They tried to break him down but he back with character. He did not let them break his resolve and went on to become a legend this game has never seen before.
