Question.

[Benaud]

Why is it that the names on the back of players shirts (usually just subcontinental teams) are often spelt wrong. Ie Umer instead of Umar, Younus instead of Younis, plenty of others I just can't recall. Is it because of simple printing errors or what? Also how come some players put their first name on their back and others their surname?

 

[Noble One]

Not too sure of the answer. Reminds me of the humorous names used in video games to avoid licensing issues; eg Ricky Pointing, Shane Wayne, Chris Carlins.

 

[Benaud]

Not too sure of the answer. Reminds me of the humerous names used in video games to avoid licencing issues; eg Ricky Pointing, Shane Wayne, Chris Carlins.

In one of my old ones it was Ray Pointing haha.

 

[pasag]

I imagine as they're transliterations that there is no 'right' way of spelling it.

 

[Adamc]

Presume it's because they are translated from languages that don't use the Latin alphabet, so there's usually no standard translation.

Edit: as above

 

[wfdu_ben91]

For the Pakistani's name errors... they are not actually spelling errors, it's actually how they are spelt but for some reason they spell it differently. Muralitharan's name is actually spelt Muralidaran, Jayawardene is actually spelt Jayawardena and Younis Khan is actually Younus Khan. They've all admitted in interviews.

 

[Fusion]

Yup, as others have stated there can be different ways to spell the same name. There are many ways to spell Mohammad/Muhammad for example.

 

[zaremba]

The weirdest one was Dutch quick bowler Andre van Troost whose first name was universally reported as Adrianus for a couple of years before he told the media that this wasn't actually what he was called.

And then there's Pakistan's Abdur Razzaq who's now known as Abdul. Does anyone know whether this was a simple transliteration thingy, or has he changed his name, or was it just an error along the lines of van Troost?

 

[stumpski]

Aaqib Javed lost one of his 'a's at some point, IIRC.

While Liaqat Ali acquired a 'u.'

 

[stumpski]

Also, when the New York Times reported on the Lahore attacks they referred to Umar Gul as 'Omar.' Is this a variation common in North America? Never seen that anywhere else.

 

[zaremba]

Aaqib Javed lost one of his 'a's at some point, IIRC.

Indeed he did.

Without checking, what else do you know about Liaq(u)at Ali? Apart from the fact that he was a mediocre Pakistan LFM bowler, I know just one thing about him - and I expect it's his only claim to fame.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Not strictly cricket, but rather Dutch: one that gets me is how Dutch persons end up with Anglicised versions of their names used like Cruyff (Cruijff) or van Nistelrooy (Nistelrooij).

I presume the "ij" approximates the English "y" sound, but it always strikes me as rather Anglocentric as Dutch lettering is similarly latin based.

 

[PhoenixFire]

Are the translations into the latin alphabet just phonical then?

 

[stumpski]

Indeed he did.

Without checking, what else do you know about Liaq(u)at Ali? Apart from the fact that he was a mediocre Pakistan LFM bowler, I know just one thing about him - and I expect it's his only claim to fame.

Supplied DI Gower with a handy leg-stump half-tracker for his first ball in Tests, didn't he.

I was going to say 'broke Brearley's arm' but I think that was Sikander Bakht.

 

[Adamc]

The weirdest one was Dutch quick bowler Andre van Troost whose first name was universally reported as Adrianus for a couple of years before he told the media that this wasn't actually what he was called.

And then there's Pakistan's Abdur Razzaq who's now known as Abdul. Does anyone know whether this was a simple transliteration thingy, or has he changed his name, or was it just an error along the lines of van Troost?

Don't think that one was due to the vagaries of translation. IIRC he changed his name to Abdur (from Abdul), then changed it back.

 

[nightprowler10]

Also, when the New York Times reported on the Lahore attacks they referred to Umar Gul as 'Omar.' Is this a variation common in North America? Never seen that anywhere else.

Yeah a pretty common way to spell here. My bro-in-law spells his name Omer.

@PF: Yes they're phonical.

My official first name is 'Muhammad' and that is way I like to spell it because that is how you would pronounce it in Arabic. When pronounced in Urdu, it would sound more like Mohammed or Mohammad which is why many people end up spelling it as such. These names are so widespread that there are many different ways of pronouncing them now. Same with Umar (Omer, Omar), Usman (Osman, Uthman), Amir (Ameer), Amir (Aamer, Aamir), etc.

 

[TT Boy]

Virender Sehwag debuted as Virender Shewag...

 

[G.I.Joe]

Hah, I remember that. Had this irresistible urge to fling the remote at the television set everytime Ravi Shastri referred to him as Shewag in the commentary. Every Tom, Dick and Harry with passing knowledge of the domestic scene knew his name was Sehwag, and it was probably a typo in the official communication. But Shastri had to keep offering proof of why he's an overpaid ass.

 

[zaremba]

Supplied DI Gower with a handy leg-stump half-tracker for his first ball in Tests, didn't he.

Spot on. And there my knowledge of Liaq(u)at Ali begins and ends.

 

[Ikki]

Also, when the New York Times reported on the Lahore attacks they referred to Umar Gul as 'Omar.' Is this a variation common in North America? Never seen that anywhere else.

"Umar" is essentially the Arabic name "Omar". Think the name "Alexander" yet it is also often spelled as "Aliaksandr" by Belarusians.

As someone said, it's because there are no real standards to these names and sometimes certain countries may pronounce them differently and hence spell them slightly differently.