Sports Sunday: North Pole Edition

In International Cricket:  the Sri Lanka tour of India is nearing an end.  Christmas Eve, at Mumbai, the two teams will meet in their 3rd Twenty20 International match at the Wankhede Stadium.  Cricket is rarely played at night, but the Twenty20 format lends itself naturally to an evening's entertainment.  So soccer fans from India to Los Angeles can enjoy a rare cricket match live on the same day! during waking hours for both!    With the series sewn up, India might consider handing a T20I debut to Tamil Nadu allrounder Washington Sundar or Baroda allrounder Deepak Hooda.  The Wankhede's flat pitch and the quick outfield is the fantasy of every batsman. The teams will have to be wary of dew in the second innings. The weather is expected to be fine for the duration of the match. A Merry Christmas to members of both teams!

At the North Pole, all hockey and curling action in the intra elf leagues has been suspended in the big push to make sure that Santa's sleigh is chock full of goodies for good girls and boys, and coal for the not so good.  In the equivalent of Baseball's All Star Break, no sports of any kind is carried out in the arctic regions these three days.  Even the all important reindeer pole vaulting and high jump schedule has come to an end. This runs from March until mid December and then pauses, so that no unnecessary risks would be taken by the deer before their most important job of the year.  Boxing Day features the annual figure skating exhibition, providing top entertainment to weary workers.  Egg nog and sugar cookies will be on the house for those few "southerners" fortunate enough to wangle a ticket, or to have one fall from Santa's gift bag.   Santa was good enough to share a sneak peak at his list.  The Nice list contains Joe, Rexswimguy, Dan in OKC, Farmboy, Belamifan, Brent, Alain, Boigen, and all of the other regular contributors and commenters.  A quick search did not reveal Xersex's name, but then it magically appeared.  He must have done something really nice at the end. Jose, we're still not sure...  The Naughty list includes all Barcelona Fans, along with fans of Iuventus and Man U.  About 10 years ago, all English Soccer fans were on the naughty list, but it has since been revised.  

  

In concert with the North Pole, the Bundesliga has taken a Winter Break until mid January.  Of the other  European Soccer Leagues, only the Dutch are playing.  Boxing Day on December 26 promises full soccer action throughout the British Isles.  Watch for a possible update on Christmas night.   

The Hawaii Bowl in Halawa, Hawaii,  is the sole NCAA College Football Bowl on the schedule today. The Hawaiʻi Bowl is a post-season National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Bowl Subdivision college football bowl game that has been played annually at Aloha Stadium since 2002.   A night game in New York City, this Bowl allows lonely mainlanders to watch some football, even on Christmas Eve, while Hawaiians can celebrate college Football and still arrive home for Christmas Eve dinners with their families.   The Houston Cougars (7-4) will contend with the Fresno State Bulldogs (9-4) in this years edition.  At this time last year, Houston’s Major Applewhite was just beginning his first stint as a head coach while Fresno State’s Jeff Tedford was just starting his second chance.  The Cougars are likely to find themselves in a low-scoring game against the Bulldogs, as Fresno State rode its defense to a West Division title in the Mountain West.  Fresno State ranks 16th nationally in total yardage allowed (319 per game) and ninth in scoring defense at 17.2 points per contest.  The Bulldogs held Boise State to 17 points in back-to-back weeks, one a win, one a loss.  The defeat in the Mountain West title game was a disappointing end to an otherwise magical season for Fresno State, and a trophy could be the stocking stuffer they are looking for...

In last night's edition of the Ice Bowl, the Vikings shut out a team for the first time in over 20 seasons, as they went to Green Bay and beat the Packers at home, 16-0.  There was a bit of snow, but the real story was the cold, 4 degrees Fahrenheit at game time (-16 C). 

Thanks for following these Weekend Sports previews.  We don't hear a lot of feedback, but trust that you find them useful. 

A very Merry Christmas  and a Happy New Year to everyone, a Happy Hanukkah, a festive Kwanzaa, and a celebratory Festivus for the rest of you! 

Sunday Sport: NFL, the Ashes, Futbol

National Football League action is heating up this weekend. With the reduced college schedule, the NFL is able to spread over more days of the weekend, with the current weekend starting on Thursday and lasting until Monday.  Yesterday the Detroit Lions kept their  playoff hopes alive by beating the hapless Chicago Bears 20-10 in a rare Saturday game.  Young quarterback Mitch Trubisky tried to pull out a win, but the team fell short.  24 teams will play in Sunday's 12  big games. 

The Los Angeles Rams, who travel to Seattle to take on the Seahawks, have a great possibility of pulling off an upset. Seattle is favored by 1.5 (up from an open of one), but the Rams have been playing well, and could present a challenge.  The San Francisco 49ers are slight favorites over the Tennessee Titans, but they look likely to win.  The 49ers are 3-10, but have been surging late in the season, having won three of their last four, that is, after the arrival of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.  He seems to have inspired the young 49ers.  The Titans, meanwhile, are 8-5 and in the hunt in the AFC South, so they won't roll over easily.  They suffered a tough loss to underdog Arizona last week and have been highly inconsistent on offense.  This season they have also struggled away from home.  Should be an interesting game.  The Steelers and Patriots -- both legitimate Super Bowl contenders, are in the hunt to shore up their strengths, and so their play should be good this weekend.   

In international Cricket, each day makes it seem less likely that England will "bring home the ashes," after this year's tour of Australia and New Zealand.  Today is the fourth day of the third test, and the English appear to be demoralized, living the Ashes experience themselves, one might say.   Australia, beginning the day on Saturday 203-3, scored 346-1 as the failings in the English bowling attack were brutally exposed again by captain Steve Smith and Mitchell Marsh.  England now face two days to try and save the match and at least keep the series alive to Melbourne and the fourth Test.  Australia could very well go up 3-0 by the end of this match, preserving the ashes and relegating the tour to just another national visit.  Steve Smith struck his highest Test score on Saturday with an unbeaten 229, and his unbroken partnership of 301 for the fifth wicket with Marsh (181 not out) has turned the game from one where England were still in a good position to one where their best case scenario now is a draw.   Australia is enjoying their best all-round bowling attack for a decade in Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon to call from.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka is currently on their tour of India, and will meet the home team today in their third ODI (One Day International) at Visakhapatnam.  After today's action, the tour will conclude with three successive T20 matches, on December 20 and December 22, culminating with the final action of the Tour, on Christmas Eve at Mumbai. 

European Soccer appears to present a ho hum Sunday, with a few exceptions.  Spanish La Liga play presents four games.  League leader Barcelona could really surge in the standings, as challenge Real Madrid, fresh from yesterday's victory in the Club World Cup, has no games in Spain this weekend, and so cannot garner any points.  German Bundesliga and French Ligue 1 both have a few games, but nothing overwhelmingly interesting, at least to this space.  On the surface, the Italian Serie A has many games on Sunday, 7 in total, but seemingly nothing of great interest.  

The most interesting soccer games Sunday in Europe would appear to be in the English Premier League, in which West Bromwich Albion will take on Manchester United, and AFC Bournemouth will contend with Liverpool.  Man U and Liverpool are both near the top of the standings, and West Brom and Bournemouth near the bottom, but these two teams often pull out unexpected wins.  

Sunday Sport: FIFA Club, Kohli Cricket, Seahawks and Eagles

La Liga competition has been heating up in Spain, with leaders Barcelona at 36 points.  Their closest challengers, Valencia, are two points behind, and have been a constant surprise to the feisty Catalans.  Barcelona star, Argentine standout Lionel Messi, has been on a cold streak these days, having finally scored one goal after six scoreless games, in Barca's 2-2 tie at home with Vigo.  For the first time this year, Barcelona has lost points in two successive weeks.

Real Madrid, meanwhile,  fourth in the standings, heads to the Mideast this week to defend their title in the Club World Cup.  The 2017 FIFA Club World Cup is being contested this year in the United Arab Emirates between December 6th and 16th.  Real Madrid are the first team in the UEFA Champions League era who have qualified to return to defend their title in the next Cup.  They can  defend their title because they won Champions League for the second successive time. The Spanish giants defeated Juventus in the final at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on June 3, when Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice in a 4-1 victory. Casemiro and Marco Asensio got the other goals. Madrid became the first side to successfully defend the European Cup since AC Milan in 1990, and are the first to do so in the Champions League era. They have won the Club World Cup twice, one short of Barcelona’s record three triumphs.

Auckland City qualified for the tournament by winning the Oceania Football Confederation Champions League, when they recorded a resounding victory in the final against fellow countrymen Team Wellington across two legs. Having won 3-0 at home in the initial meeting, Auckland then triumphed 2-0 away for an overall 5-0 win. It was the third successive year the two sides had met in the showpiece. Auckland’s ninth Club World Cup appearance is a record, with the club competing in 2006 and 2009 and then every year from 2011. This marks their second appearance in Abu Dhabi, as they defeated hosts Al Ahli in 2009 before losing the quarter-final to Mexico’s Atlante.

In international Test Cricket, Sri Lanka continues their painful tour of India, and has suffered at the hands of a massive Vijay-Kohli stand.   Vijay (155) and Kohli (156 not out) have ensured that the hosts, leading the series 1-0, would post 371-4 on first day of third and final Test.  This scoring of hundreds by Murali Vijay and captain Virat Kohli brought a somber mood to the Sri Lankans on  Day 1 of this, the third and final Test against Sri Lanka at New Delhi.  Vijay was dismissed for 155 shortly before the end of day's play, while Kohli - who crossed the three-figure mark for third straight innings - stayed unbeaten on 156, and retired, temporarily, as not out.  

Kohli, who despite his youth has become an outspoken defender of the game and the players, has reached the milestone of 5,000 Test runs, while on 94, in his 63rd game.  Having made his fifty before the lunch break, Vijay smashed a boundary off left-arm wrist spinner Lakshan Sandakan to register his second successive ton in the three-match series.  Kohli, fresh from his 213 during India's thrashing of Sri Lanka in the second Test in Nagpur, led the batting charge.  Off-spinner Dilruwan Perera, who got his 100th Test wicket in taking opener Shikhar Dhawan early in the day, failed to trouble the two batsmen at the crease.   Play continues today. 

Today is a big day for NFL football in the United States.  Two out of the three prime-time games this weekends are between divisional rivals, and the Sunday Night Football match-up between the Philadelphia Eagles and Seattle Seahawks could well be a playoffs preview.  Meanwhile, the 9-2 Minnesota Vikings are running away with the NFC North, and their opponents this weekend, the 7-4 Atlanta Falcons, are in third place in NFC South.  Still, many favor a Falcons' victory. If the Falcons can defeat the Vikings on Sunday, that will spice things up in the NFC playoff race.   Minnesota has been the more consistent team this year, though the two teams match up well.  Both teams average scoring 24 points per game.  Minnesota is much stronger on defense. 

Maybe the best matchup this weekend will be between the Philadelphia Eagles, with a 10-1 record, who will take on the Seattle Seahawks, whose record is 7-4.  It is extremely difficult to beat the Seahawks at home, so they have that.  The decibel level in CenturyLink Field is hard for visitors to overcome.  The Seahawks have held opponents to an average of 19 points per game until this weekend, but Philadelphia is averaging  32.

Sunday Sport: The Ashes, Arsenal, Valencia, Ronaldo and F1

Sunday's Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix provides a unique mix of sports this year, as four-time Formula One world champion, Lewis Hamilton, both competes for another win, and cheers on his down on their luck Association Football team, Arsenal.  Both are well known to readers of this space.  Arsenal fan Lewis Hamilton knows how Premier League club can succeed again, and cheers them on, whilst he, himself,  wants to keep pushing to greater heights. 

This is the first time in many seasons in which Arsenal is absent from the UEFA Champions league, as they placed just below the threshold of the Premier League last year, for the first time since 1996.  They continue to compete in other interleague competitions, and push hard for better success this year.   Arsenal were beaten at Cologne on Thursday night in a Europa League competition, and travel to Burnley today for a game too close to call.  Hamilton has said that he has been an Arsenal fan since he was five years old, and has been disappointed over their fates of late. 

Hamilton has had a good year, winning his fourth title with two races to spare.  He is not retiring to write his memoirs, however, at 32 he states that "  I’m always wanting to move forwards, I’m always wanting to be ahead of the game, I’m always wanting to be two steps further ahead than everyone else that’s also trying to be two steps ahead of the game.”  He added "I’ve now won four championships and I want to win another one.”

Hamilton goes for a fourth win on today in the big race in Abu Dhabi.  His great opponents are those with whom he has contended all year, Dutch phenom Max Vestappen, Italian Sebastian Vettel, Australian Daniel Ricciardo, and Brazilian Felipe Massa.

La Liga competition in Spain has reached a point unforeseen before the season.  League leader is Barcelona, riding the crest of a wave of anti national sentiment, and surging in national competition.  Behind them are Valencia, and at six points behind Valencia, Real Madrid.  The town of Valencia was hit hard by the economic crisis, harder than any other city in Spain.  In recent seasons, they finished 12th in the standings.    Their massive stadium remains unfinished, a relic of better economic times, but this year their team has given Valencianos real hope.  

Valencia have no money but have surged to dizzying new heights, under stable coaching, after several years of coaching chaos.   They play host to league leader Barcelona this weekend.    Barcelona is flush with cash and has just signed Lionel Messi to a new Contract for another three years.  Valencia tends to rely on younger players, some on loan, such as Midfielder Andreas Pereira, 21, on loan from Manchester United.  Messi was rested by Barcelona for last week's Champions League competition against Cologne, rested it is said so that he could be at full strength for this competition.  The young, brash team, has Barcelona scared, apparently.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid, who took on Malaga yesterday, and won 3-2, sits at 10 points behind Barcelona in the standings.  They are playing without the support of their greatest scorers.  Metrosexual model Ronaldo Cristiano, certainly well known to readers of this space,  has only two goals in the last 9 league games, certainly some sort of reverse record.  The boys in lavender must turn around a quick recovery this weekend, and they have their next game on Tuesday against Fuenlabrada, in this year's Copa del Rey competition.  Ronaldo may have taken his eyes off the prize, though, as he has been engaging in secret talks with Paris Saint-Germain, who last year snatched Neymar Junior from the Viking's archrivals Barcelona. Meanwhile, Neymar, who has been engaged in legal battles since his percipitous exit from Barca, may well end up in Madrid.

In international cricket, the Sri Lanka tour of India continues with the 2nd Test at Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Jamtha, Nagpur.  This test began November 24th and last through the 28th, and at last report was at Stumps,  India leading by 107 runs with 8 wickets remaining in the 1st innings, Sri Lanka 205, India 312/2 (after 98 overs).   Overall, India is considered much stronger, but Sri Lanka is a constant surprise. 

Virat Kohli

In the never to be calm world of Indian Cricket, controversies have erupted lately, and national team captain Virat Kohli has been both supportive of the coach and critical of the schedule.  At the end of this current tour teammates will only have a couple of days before flying from India to South Africa for their test series. Readers of this space will know that these tours can last several weeks to a few months, depending on how many tests and other variations of the game are played.    Kohli has called for a more humane approach to the game, at least in scheduling.  

England has gone to Australia to bring back the Ashes, as the much anticipated tour has officially begun last week.  The 1st Test began at the Brisbane Cricket Ground, Woolloongabba, Brisbane on American Thanksgiving Day,  November 23, and finishes on the 27th.  At last report, they were at Stumps,  England leading by 7 runs with 8 wickets remaining,  England 302 & 33/2 (16 overs), Australia 328.  Australia is highly favored in the series. 

Sport Saturday: Football Extravaganza, India vs. Sri Lanka

Football.  American Football, that is.  Thanksgiving.  American Thanksgiving, that is.  Weekend.  American Thanksgiving Football Weekend.  i.e. NOW. 

No other time of year is such a celebration of American Football as this weekend.  Beginning on Thanksgiving Day, with three NFL matches staggered to provide Football all day and long into the evening, the football orgy continues each day.  Yesterday and today were college football days, the last days of their regular season, and attention turns again on Sunday to the NFL.  Even the great conflagration of bowl games at the new year, in this post BCS season, does not provide as much variety or excitement.  Super Bowl weekend is great, but it is one game, in February.  College and NFL teams this weekend play out their great rivalries, they reach decision points, they qualify or don't, they aim toward a winning season or realize that they will be losers again this year.  

Thanksgiving Thursday. Black Friday. Saturday.  Sunday.  Football. 

What has already happened should be well known to you, what is to happen we do not know.  Nonetheless, today, Saturday, provides some top games to watch.  Chief among those is between number 9 Ohio State and perennial powerhouse, Michigan.  Michigan has lost just the wrong games this year, and so is currently not ranked, but they always have a few tricks up their sleeves for arch nemeses Ohio State.  A victory in this annual game provides a great boost to either of the rivals.  This year a loss cannot hurt Michigan, but could hurt Ohio State.  

#1 Alabama battles #6 Auburn in an annual intrastate blood feud.  This southern rivalry is always a classic, and even more so this year with so much on the line.  Other great games should be # 3 Clemson vs. #24 South Carolina in another southern rivalry, and on the west coast, another intrastate rivalry when #13 Washington State and #17 Washington do battle to prove who is the apple of Washington's eye.

Ravichandra Ashwin and Ishant Sharma formed a fearsome partnership for India to skittle out Sri Lanka for 205 on the opening day of the second Test of Sri Lanka's tour of India.  India was on top as Ashwin destroyed Sri Lanka despite 'no demons' in Nagpur wicket.  But the hosts were 11-1 at the close after opener Lokesh Rahul fell for 7, bowled by Sri Lankan paceman Lahiru Gamage.  Murali Vijay, on 2, and Cheteshwar Pujara, on 2, were batting at the close of play in Nagpur with India trailing by 194 runs in the first innings.  The day belonged to the bowlers with Ashwin taking four wickets and fellow spinner Ravindra Jadeja and Ishant picking three each. The tourists lost six wickets in the final session.  

"I think me and Ashwin were trying to bowl in good areas. Trying to restrict them by not giving easy boundaries," said Jadeja, who took 3-56.

 "We were just providing a supporting role to the fast bowlers who bowled well in the first session."  Chandimal, who hit a six in his 122-ball knock, was given not out by the on-field umpire but captain Virat Kohli called for a review which went in India's favour.  Chandimal and Karunaratne put on a crucial 62-run stand for the fourth wicket before the Indian bowlers struck back.  The two teams are fighting to get ahead in the three-Test series after the opening game ended in a draw at Kolkata's Eden Gardens.  The three Sri Lanka Tests come before India, the world's top-ranked team, embark on a three-Test tour starting January in South Africa, where they have never won a Test series.

Saturday Sport

Like perhaps no other time in recent history, sports and politics are again at the crossroads this weekend. 

Pakistan has not hosted international cricket within the country since 2009.  In that year, the visiting Sri Lanka team fell under attack by rebels, losing 8 of their members, with another 8 escaping with serious injuries.  The Sri Lankans have decided to give it another go, on Sunday, when the blockade is broken...  Tens of thousands of security will be deployed in Lahore when Sri Lanka become the first major cricket team to visit Pakistan since that deadly ambush.  Some of the attack survivors will be among those returning to the scene.  

No one blames the several Sri Lankans who have opted out of this Twenty20 game, as security is not completely assured, given recent rebel attacks.  Asanka Gurusinha and Hashan Tillakaratne of Sri Lanka and Pakistan's Ahsan Raza, are among those returning to the field for this match.   Sunday's game will the third and final T20 - with the other two having been played in UAE, site of many of Pakistan's "home" games in recent years.  Pakistani's have a great passion for Cricket, so this step towards normalcy is greeted with great expectation.   Sunday's Twenty20 international is being hailed as a brave decision by Sri Lanka and a milestone for Pakistan as it attempts to end its sporting isolation. We wish all those involved the best this Sunday! 

Meanwhile back in Spain, the Catalans have declared independence. For some reason, though, their teams are still playing in the Spanish Liga.  This weekend should be interesting, in that Real Madrid are playing in the Catalan stronghold Girona, and Barcelona travels to Basque stronghold Bilbao.  Real Madrid is chasing Barcelona in the standings, whilst Bilbao has been scraping the bottom.  Fresh from picking up FIFA's award for the best player of 2017, Cristiano Ronaldo will be one of number of Madrid stars to return after being rested for Madrid's Copa del Rey last-32, first-leg at third-tier Fuenlabrada on Thursday. Gareth Bale once again misses out through injury, although there is hope the Welshman could return from a calf problem in time to face his old team the Tottenham Hotspur in their Champions League contest on Wednesday.

In England, the Premier League Season is heating up.  Defeat is not an option for Manchester United  or Tottenham Hotspur as their teams seek to keep pace with leaders Manchester City in the Premier League title race. The respective teams begin the weekend five points behind City as they face each other at Old Trafford in Saturday’s early kick-off. Man U has lost significant ground in the last two weekends. Coach Mourinho accused his players of a “poor attitude” after the Huddersfield reverse, and switched several of them out of starting spots.  United have won all four of their home league matches this season, scoring 14 goals and conceding none, and Mourinho is seeking to keep that sequence going.  "Tottenham are a direct rival every season," midfielder Ander Herrera said. "In the last two or three years they have improved a lot and they are contenders for everything. The Champions League, the Premier League and for both cups."  

That's right, Tottenham...  The same Tottenham who beat Liverpool last weekend 4-1. The same Tottenham who will meet Real Madrid next Wednesday in Champion's League action.  They would be clear favorites and full of confidence had they not lost to West Ham United during the week, 3-2.  ... and what of the Gunners?  Arsenal look prepared to field Chilean Alexis Sanchez, German Mesut Ozil and Alexandre Lacazette on Swansea City on Saturday after the trio all scored against Everton last weekend, this was the first time they had all played together.  Prospects are, apparently, looking up for the team as they face Saturday's contest.  At least the English Season gives  us a bit of a break from the politics/sports nexus

In the United States of America, hurricane ravaged Houston has recovered enough to cheer their home team, the Astros, along the way in the World Series of Baseball.  Los Angeles hosted the first two games, and won and lost one, and with Friday night's game, Houston has convincingly seized the home field advantage. Today's game promises even more excitement.  

Sunday Cricket and Sports

Pakistan stretched their winning streak to eight matches in one-day internationals, and piled on more misery for Sri Lanka in the process, as they won by seven wickets in Sharjah on Friday.  Sri Lanka is currently in the midst of their tour of Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, and the hosts have not been very hospitable!   The victory, secured with a convincing 11 overs to spare, gave Pakistan a 4-0 lead in the series with just Today’s final match still to play.  

Given they were on an unusual 10-match losing run of their own, Sri Lanka’s spirits were probably low enough, even before making the trip north-east up the coast from Abu Dhabi for the final phase of this series.  The loss for Sri Lanka was, perhaps, not surprising, as they have not won at Sharjah, the Emirates most historic cricket venue, since 2002.  Sri Lanka, embarrassingly, is amidst a rut of nearly a dozen losses.  The picture is not any rosier for the Sri Lankans, who return to Sharjah, to play Pakistan, in their fifth and final ODI of this series. tomorrow. in. Sharjah.  Also on tap for today is a test match between West Indies and Zimbabwe, and ODIs between India and New Zealand, and South Africa and Bangladesh.

In the USA, in MLB, the two teams contesting the World Series of Baseball have been decided.  The Los Angeles Dodgers, formerly of Brooklyn, had already beat the Chicago Cubs in the NLCS to become that league's contender.  Last night the seventh game of the seven game series was played between the perennial champions the New York Yankees, and the Houston Astros. The 'stros prevailed to take the American League title, and so will face the Dodgers in the World Series, which will start later this week.  The Los Angeles Dodgers are World Series favorites, but not by much. Their best-of-seven series begins Tuesday in Los Angeles.  The Dodgers are in the World Series for the first time since 1988 and will face a Houston team that rallied back from a 3-2 series deficit in the American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees. The Astros beat the Yankees 4-0 Saturday night in Game 7 of the ALCS to advance to the franchise's second World Series.  Neither team was considered favorites, even some time into the season. 

In the USA, in the football season, six weeks in, there's not a division leader with a lead of more than one game in the loss column, and the NFC West, NFC South, AFC East and NFC North all have at least two teams tied in the loss column sitting atop the division. Of the league's 32 teams, a whopping 25 have three or fewer losses and 23 have two or three defeats to their name.  Green Bay has lost tremendous Quarterback Aaron Rodgers to injury.  They host the Saints at Lambeau Field today, and will be testing the limits of their backup talent.

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Cricketers

Ben Stokes

Alastair Cook

Angelo Mathews

Brad Murphy

Gautam Gambhir

Graeme Cremer

 Virat Kohli

Ravichandran Ashwin

Fakhar Zaman