The Rogue Students

I like how everything is a record in cricket. Just about anything you do gets you a mention (no matter how mundane) in the annals of that year, etched forever in history for all times to come. We have seen maximum runs in an ODI, maximum runs in a test match, maximum score in a t20 match. Maximum number of wickets taken in a match. Most wickets taken in a row. Most extras given in a match. Then we've seen longest partnership. Longest partnership of openers. Highest partnership of third wicket. Highest partnership of tail enders. We have seen location specific records. Maximum runs scored in a particular cricket ground etc etc. Ok, fair enough. 

But then the records get more specific and this is where things really start getting interesting. Youngest player to score a hundred. Oldest player to score a hundred. Most runs in a match on the losing side. Most runs in a series by a captain. Most runs in a series by a wicketkeeper. I am not making these up. Most runs in a career without a hundred. Most nineties in career. For the love of God, why would anyone even care for that? You miss by an inch you miss by a mile my good man. You either score a century, or you don't. Records should be binary in nature. You either do the damned thing, or you fail, as simple as that. But no. Cricket will give you records like: most catches by a substitute in an innings. Who cares! There are even records for "winning all tosses in a series" and "captains who have kept wicket and opened during the batting". We even see records like: most consecutive five wickets in an innings. During matches, often highly mundane statistics are displayed..."This is the highest score by team X against team Y in this ground since 1986". They amuse or annoy the viewer, depending on whether the side they support is winning or slipping towards a defeat.

As I write these lines, I notice this random fact on espncricinfo: George Lohmann of England is the only bowler to take 100 or more Test wickets at a strike rate of under 40 balls per wicket. Isn't that a bit too specific? On the same site, you can find a list of unusual dismissals as well. Interestingly, out of the 7 entries, 4 are Pakistani players. I'm uncertain if I should be jubilant or embarrassed. I choose to be amused.

Seeing the rate at which people currently rejoice at every single action which turns into a record, I'm sure the days are not too far away when we hear the following commentary in a match:

"Ah yes...the crowd cheers and chants as boom boom comes into the ground..this is the 4087th time he has walked in with the crowd chanting his name...Afridi walking up to the pitch...he stops and shakes hands with the umpire...that was a very good gesture on his part.."

Commentator 2 butts in: "But not very uncommon Tony. This is actually the 29th time that a Pakistani has shaken hands with Umpire Roger Lastname in this particular ground. The last time was back in 2015."

Tony: "Quite right Jeff but recall that this is only the 7th time that a player has shaken hands with Lastname on a sunny day. In addition, this is the first time that Afridi has done so with more than 200 runs to chase."

Jeff: "Alright now Afridi faces the bowler, who happens to be the 56th player ever to be bowling to this batsman with his left arm after wiping his face with a blue towel..."

Tony: "Ah yes, we remember Firstname McElrea to be the first bowler to do that in this ground. It would be interesting to mention that Lastname was performing the duties of an umpire in that match as well..."

Jeff: "...which happened to be his 130th match as an umpire while wearing his belt set to the third notch..."

Written by: Zain Shah