If you are a frenzied cricket fan, who loves to go through cricketing folklore, you must have heard about the incident where cricket’s first legend, WG Grace relentlessly stayed at the crease despite being given out by the umpire. He simply replaced the bails telling the umpire, ‘’they (the fans) have come to see me bat, not you umpire.’’!
Fans are given utmost importance in any sport, let alone cricket. A scenario without fans is unthinkable of.
In this article, we take a microscopic look at 5 crazy (the minimal terminology used) cricket fans who have made the ‘Gentleman’s Game’ spicier.
5. SHOAIB ALI (BANGLADESH)
Is that a tiger? Is that a beast? No, it’s Shoaib Ali of Bangladesh!
Do not get frightened by the looks of a tiger in the stands if you ever visit Bangladesh for a cricket match. Shoaib Ali has been a key witness to Bangladesh’s resurgence in international cricket. Every morning is a lazy Sunday morning for Shaoib as he wakes up slowly and woozily, wiping last night’s make-up from his eyes. He watches every international game that Bangladesh plays with his tiger suit and a giant Bangladesh flag. He nearly missed Bangladesh’s tour of Zimbabwe in 2013 as a problem with his papers meant he could not get immigration. In the end, it was Bangladesh’s team manager who rescued him. A car mechanic by profession, Shoaib has managed to secure sponsorship from the Dhaka Bank for picking up the bills for his flights. He is the 12th man for the Bangla Tigers at the grounds, as is evident from his extraordinary energy level.
4. GAYAN SENANAYAKE (SRI LANKA)
This crazy Sri Lankan Super Fan has attended over 200 matches involving Sri Lanka at home and abroad.
The cricket fanaticism spiked in him when as a 17 year old, he watched Sri Lanka capture the 1996 World Cup. Sri Lanka (who were the co-hosts in that edition along with India and Pakistan) subsequently brought in a cricketing wave that swept the nation including Gayan. Dressed in a blue Sri Lankan jersey with a hat on his head, Gayan has jagged enthusiasm among the Sri Lankan fans for years and he is hopeful of continuing the trend in the days to come. Off the field, he has gained recognition for his chanting prowess. ‘’C’mon Sri Lanka!’’, he would cheer for the team whenever his beloved side gets to any milestone.
3. CHACHA CRICKET (PAKISTAN)
Chacha Cricket (Chaudhry Abdul Jalil) is adored worldwide for his eccentric support for the Pakistan team. It is easy to recognize him. You see a man with white beard, wearing a full green ‘shalwarkameez’ and a white cap decorated with sequined stars and a crescent moon (which resembles Pakistan’s national flag) and you’ll know that he is none other than Pakistan’s favorite uncle. He came into limelight when he regularly attended cricket matches held in Sharjah in the 1980s. He later resigned from his job and realized that the stands needed him more than his office cabin. Impressed with his enormous support for Pakistan, his countrymen started calling him Chacha Cricket (The Cricket Uncle). As his fame increased, the Pakistan Cricket Board agreed to sponsor him so that he could travel around the world following the National team. His fitness needs to be complemented heavily because even at 65 years of age, he doesn’t miss a single opportunity where he can display his love for the nation.
2. BARMY ARMY (ENGLAND)
Not a single fan but an entire army features at No. 2 in this list of crazy fans. Most grounds in England (apart from LORD’S) set aside areas for Barmy Army fans. The Army is a semi-structured group of English cricket supporters which arranges touring parties for some of its members to follow the English team on overseas tours. Unlike the reputations of some fans for hooliganism, the Barmy Army actively discourages such behavior. The group was termed ‘’Barmy Army’’ by the Australian media during the 1994/95 Ashes series in Australia. Trumpets and insistent chanting are the distinctive features of the Barmy Army. Even though, some cricket followers find their chanting to be annoying, it is improbable that the Army will ever compromise on that. Once the Ashes begin on 8th July, 2 matches will take place simultaneously- one between England and Australia and the other between the Barmy Army and the fans of the opposition.
1. SUDHIR GAUTHAM (INDIA)
So who tops this list? Who else but Sudhir Gautham from India. He holds the unique record of attending every home match the Indian team has played since 2003. 12 years on the trot; now that takes some doing. His image has achieved stardom as he is usually seen with the body painted in Indian tri-color and waving the Indian national flag in the live telecast of the matches. Amusingly, he travels by his bicycle to reach the venues of the matches involving Team India. In addition to that, he sometimes travels without tickets in trains to reach venues. A die-hard fan of Sachin Tendulkar, he paints the name of his favorite cricketer on his chest. You’ll be surprised to know that he skips sleep on the night before a cricket match to preserve the paint on his body. He once cycled from Muzaffarpur to Mumbai to watch Sachin play in 2003. His moment of glory came on 2nd April, 2011 when Tendulkar asked him to come to the Indian Dressing room and join the team’s celebrations on winning the World Cup. He often gets harassed by the Police for blowing the conch (it marks Team India’s arrival at any venue) but that never deters him from supporting the team. In a country, where cricket is given the status of a religion, it is no surprise that a man like Sudhir travels thousands of kilometers only to watch his beloved Team India play.
CONCLUSION– Recently,SudhirGautham was attacked by Bangladeshi supporters during Team India’s tour of Bangladesh. Such episodes tarnish the image of this sport. We condemn such unscrupulous incidents.
This article is a tribute to all you fans. Who needs an air-conditioner when you have such cool fans in the house?