Your Cricket Your experiences of watching Cricket

[NILAYSHAH60]

As far as I was concerned, I started watching Cricket as a 10 yr old since the time Sachin Tendulkar hit the first ever double ton in ODI Cricket and more pleasing was to see India hit 400 in 50 Overs and then I became known to IPL and the moment I got to know Sachin plays for MI it became my favourite team. I wasn't an Indian team fan back then but 2011 WC victory was the reason I started to follow most of the matches of Indian team, it was embarrassing to see India lose 4-0 in Tests in England and Australia respectively and that was a time I certainly felt that I shouldn't get excited about Indian Cricket just because of a WC win but I still stuck with it and my interest grew towards other teams as well. Since then I have been a neutral Cricket fan. Yes I want India to win most of the matches but I also appreciate if someone performs well

 

[WubbaLubbaDubDub]

I loved cars and Sachin won the Opel Astra in Sharjah against Pakistan. That got me into Cricket.

From there onwards Cricket has been my life.

 

[Gaurav_7]

Natwest final in 2002. The 2003 WC was the first ever tournament I followed thoroughly and remember most of the matches if not all.

 

[DrewBi]

My parents always had the cricket on during the 2013/14 ashes in Australia. I started watching and now it is literally my favourite thing.

 

[abhi_jacko]

As an add-on to this question..

Who are the 3/4 cricketers who got you hooked to Cricket when you started following it?

This is not so much about objectivity, picking players on the basis of technique/performances. More so on a subjective level -
- the players who couldn't wait to see on the cricket field
- the players you couldn't stop wondering about based on the descriptions from the elder cricket fans at home/around you
- the players you tried to imitate (however poorly) when you took the field yourself.
- the players who turned cricket into a passion for you
- the players that you picked in your custom cricket games (Book cricket anyone??)

 

[NILAYSHAH60]

As an add-on to this question..

Who are the 3/4 cricketers who got you hooked to Cricket when you started following it?

This is not so much about objectivity, picking players on the basis of technique/performances. More so on a subjective level -
- the players who couldn't wait to see on the cricket field
- the players you couldn't stop wondering about based on the descriptions from the elder cricket fans at home/around you
- the players you tried to imitate (however poorly) when you took the field yourself.
- the players who turned cricket into a passion for you
- the players that you picked in your custom cricket games (Book cricket anyone??)

Seems like a nice idea

I have just one answer for every question you asked- Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar

 

[qpeedore]

Coming from Trinidad I would suppose a lot of people will expect me to say Lara. But no. Not Lara for me. It was Ambrose who will forever be my fav player. As far as style goes, VVS Laxman for me. Lara made runs, Laxman made style.

 

[aditya123]

1996 WC and more specifically that India-Pakistan Q/F at B`lore was my first proper induction into watching this great sport.[DOUBLEPOST=1548605295][/DOUBLEPOST]

Coming from Trinidad I would suppose a lot of people will expect me to say Lara. But no. Not Lara for me. It was Ambrose who will forever be my fav player. As far as style goes, VVS Laxman for me. Lara made runs, Laxman made style.

Lara was my favourite, despite me hailing from the city of Tendulkar (Mumbai).

 

[aditya123]

As far as I was concerned, I started watching Cricket as a 10 yr old since the time Sachin Tendulkar hit the first ever double ton in ODI Cricket and more pleasing was to see India hit 400 in 50 Overs and then I became known to IPL and the moment I got to know Sachin plays for MI it became my favourite team. I wasn't an Indian team fan back then but 2011 WC victory was the reason I started to follow most of the matches of Indian team, it was embarrassing to see India lose 4-0 in Tests in England and Australia respectively and that was a time I certainly felt that I shouldn't get excited about Indian Cricket just because of a WC win but I still stuck with it and my interest grew towards other teams as well. Since then I have been a neutral Cricket fan. Yes I want India to win most of the matches but I also appreciate if someone performs well

You missed the best era (2002-2010) of Indian test match cricket overseas.[DOUBLEPOST=1548605461][/DOUBLEPOST]

I loved cars and Sachin won the Opel Astra in Sharjah against Pakistan. That got me into Cricket.

From there onwards Cricket has been my life.

The Opel Astra was awarded during the Desert Storm series against Australia, not Pakistan.

 

[SaiSrini]

My very first intro to cricket was that famous India vs Pakistan QF match in the 1996 World Cup. I didn't know absolutely anything about cricket and I was 11 yrs old that time. People at my home were following the game and a few family friends were fervently asking my family about the scores. I was enthused by their reactions and sat down and watched that game. Of course when that famous moment of "Prasad vs Sohail" happened, the euphoria that happened at my place at that time was probably what drew me really close to cricket. It was a brilliant moment, the patriotism surged to unbelievable highs.

After that, I started watching almost every India game and would go to lengths to watch them. My most favorite instance was the 1998 Coca Cola Sharjah Cup (the Sachin Desert Storm tournament). My school annual exams were over and my family planned a vacation to Kodaikkanal. And the tournament was going on and Sachin was tearing the cricket world apart. Going on that vacation meant that I would be missing the final and I knew we couldn't watch it anywhere at our vacation spot. I created such a big ruckus at home and got a big earful from my parents. Of course they prevailed and we indeed went for that vacation and I had to watch the final on recording after we came back. And I was following scores while we were on that vacation and was so happy that India won that game and Sachin got 134.

Those were the days....

1996 WC and more specifically that India-Pakistan Q/F at B`lore was my first proper induction into watching this great sport.[DOUBLEPOST=1548605295][/DOUBLEPOST]

Lara was my favourite, despite me hailing from the city of Tendulkar (Mumbai).

Whoa... Looks like both you and me got into cricket watching the same game (that India vs Pakistan QF at B' lore).

 

[SaiSrini]

As an add-on to this question..

Who are the 3/4 cricketers who got you hooked to Cricket when you started following it?

This is not so much about objectivity, picking players on the basis of technique/performances. More so on a subjective level -
- the players who couldn't wait to see on the cricket field
- the players you couldn't stop wondering about based on the descriptions from the elder cricket fans at home/around you
- the players you tried to imitate (however poorly) when you took the field yourself.
- the players who turned cricket into a passion for you
- the players that you picked in your custom cricket games (Book cricket anyone??)

The first of those 3/4 cricketers is......DUH..... Sachin Tendulkar! His impact could be seen in that WC semifinal of 96 where the team collapsed the moment he got out, and while he was still on the crease, the team looked like cruising.

Second one for me was Brian Charles Lara! The constant rivalry/comparison between Sachin and Lara made me follow up Lara and even though I never accepted that Lara was better than Sachin (I still don't), I hugely admire the guy and loved watching him bat whenever not against India.

The third one is a little weird - I would say it was Saeed Anwar, the Pakistani left handed batsman. He was so so so frustratingly prolific against India that it would really really hurt! But when I got out of that immature phase, I just understood how great a batsman he was, more so against India and I would say he was also implicitly instrumental in hooking me onto cricket.

 

[Manish.]

Started watching from world cup 2011 & attracted by watching MS's last ball six vs Sri Lanka.

 

[abhi_jacko]

Whoa... Looks like both you and me got into cricket watching the same game (that India vs Pakistan QF at B' lore).

While I started watching cricket a couple of years before this match, but this was the landmark game for me where i went absolutely crazy with hype. The only match for which i actually blew up some firecrackers when we won

And then i was so confident about the next game.. You could repeatedly hear me say around the house that 'Pakistan ko hara diya, Sri Lanka se toh Aaraam se jeetenge ab (we have defeated pak, so sl will be a piece of cake)' ... And then within a few days, the first major heartbreak caused by cricket when we lost to SL ... That took ages to mend. I couldn't believe it

And then another world cup, another semi final, another heart break. But this time by south Africa in 99. That was equally painful. That's when you know cricket is your life, when it can cause such severe heart breaks

 

[abhi_jacko]

Regarding the question i asked

Sachin was top of the list. Was floored by his talent and charmed by his off field demeanor. Was amazed at how my grandmother who did not know much about cricket would also leave all work and watch him bat, because he was like a part of the family somehow.

Other than the obvious, I was a massive fan of Akram, Cronje (until the fixing saga happened), most of the South African team, Nathan Astle - once again a combination of amazing skills on the field and inspirational behavior both on and off the field

 

[SaiSrini]

Oh yeah... On that topic of cricketers who I enjoyed watching in my initial days of attraction to the sport -

Wasim Akram - Big big fan! Though my Top 3 had all batsman, this guy created the inspiration in me to want to become a left arm fast bowler. I am a left hander in bowling and I seriously wanted to take up left arm seam bowling after watching Akram. Though my aspirations went for a toss once my family (and me) relocated away from India, I always shadow bowl left arm seam bowling till date and the roots trace back to Akram.

Allan Donald - Enjoyed watching this bloke. That famous 'widespread hands and tongue out' celebration still remains etched in memory. His bowling was menacing yeah, but it was amplified 100x by his menacing looks too. To me, Allan Donald was "The Undertaker" (as in WWF) of cricket at that time. He truly looked scary!

Sanath Jayasuriya - A left hander who constantly hurt India most of the times they played each other. Though Anwar had the most imprint in me on left handed batting, Jayasuriya was a big inspiration in attacking cricket and I would literally be standing in front of the temple in my home, wanting him to get out when he batted against India.

A lot more guys impacted my initial years, but that would keep just adding, so I will stop here... For me, Ganguly and Dravid began their peak much much later and that's why they are not on my "cricketers who impacted you the most in your initial years" list. Yes they announced their arrival at Lord's in 96 but everyone waited to see if they will live up to it on a long term basis and eventually they started their peaks around 98-99.