Random Cricket Photos Post 18




You can be forgiven for thinking that it’s a photograph of a cricketer clicking a selfie with an umpire. But that’s not what it is. Because

a) Cricketers were and are not allowed to carry mobile phones on to the playing area.
b) The photo was taken long before ‘selfies’ became a thing
c) So, what’s happening here in this interesting photograph clicked by Graham Chadwick?

The colourful Fanie De Villiers of South Africa was just 6 matches old in his Test career when he toured England for a 3 match Test series in 1995. And boy! what an eventful Test series it turned out to be. From Michael Atherton’s ‘Dirt in the pocket’ affair to Devon Malcolm’s ‘You guys are history’ spell, this series saw it all. And that’s why De Villiers’ antics remain largely forgotten. But that doesn't mean they should remain that way.

During one of the Tests, when umpire David Shepherd turned down a Leg before appeal by the bowler, De Villiers and his captain didn’t have the recourse to DRS as players have nowadays. So, what did he do to express his displeasure? He reached out to his pocket and brought out a Red Card for umpire Shepherd. While the Umpire had a good laugh about it, the English crowd wasn’t too pleased. And the South African then went on to show a Red Card to the crowd too. Recalling the incident and explaining his way of playing the game, the pacer later said, “Enjoy your cricket and never be scared to have character. It's only a matter of money when you get fined. You'll make it up during and after your cricketing career.”

Maybe, in present-day cricket, the ICC wouldn’t like many to pay heed to the South African’s advice.

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