Street cricket

[SJS]

I have long been interested in street cricket photographs and one comes across many really amazing ones. I intend to start an Album on my facebook page for street cricket pictures some day soon. Recently I saw a very touching article on the writer's childhood experiences in street cricket on a Pakistani site called pakistaniat.com. Here is a lin to it.

Remembering Tikanjoo

in the article the writer Owais Mughal has quoted two or three lovely chairs (urdu couplets) that are worth quoting.

The first was written when Wes Hall was devastating batsmen in the sub-continent with his fearsome fast bowling. The poet almost grats Hall's awesome speed in these words.

Shaur utha ke Hall aata Hai
Khel ka inteqaal aata hai
Hall se pehley ball aati hai
Ball se pehle Hall aata hai​

Translation. .

Their is a rising uproar that here comes Hall
The inevitable death as there comes Hall
Before Hall reaches the ball is here
Before the ball reaches, Hall is here​

:-)

The second couplet I like is a bit nostalgic as the poet remembers the days of his childhood when there was street cricket and warmth in relationships. It goes. .

Jab cricket khela Karte the
Use wicket banaya karte the
Hum jis se pani peete the
Woh matka aakhir toot gaya​

Translation. . .

When we used to play cricket
And we prepared those wickets
The one that provided us all water to drink
That pot of clay is finally shattered.​

Here are a few of the many fabulous street cricket pictures one can find on the net.

A Tibetan Monk in Simla

On the Ghats of the Ganges at Banares

Mariabad, Quetta, Pakistan : A Jonty in the making

Tamilnadu, India

Humayun's Tomb, Delhi

A Victory Parade - Matia Mahal Delhi

A Learie Constantine in Lahore

A Dennis Lillee in India

The heaviest Stumps in the world - Rawalpindi. . .

. . . and the lightest - somewhere in India

 

[Xuhaib]

My childhood involved a lot of street cricket.Ramadan was the best time during the year on weekends from 11pm to 5 am we played night matches in our muhallah's street then went to Pizza hut for the sehri the loosing team paid for the winning team, coming back to my house at 7 am and then sleeping till the sunset waking right at the moment we were suppose to break our fast.

Miss those days

 

[Edged&Taken]

 

[Faceless void]

Well this is not exactly street cricket , rather beach cricket.
These are a few of the photos I took recently. Usually do only wildlife.
enjoy

 

[G.I.Joe]

Tamilnadu, India

[/CENTER]

SJS, now do you understand what the hell Ponting was talking about? They're playing on raods, literally.

 

[GotSpin]

Awesome photos

 

[Sanz]

Pretty amazing.

 

[Cruxdude]

I used to play at the dead end street near our place almost every other day and when not playing there used to play on our terrace. It was great fun.

 

[Goughy]

This is the only one I like. Saying that though I REALLY like it

A Dennis Lillee in India

Id be more impressed if I knew that the monk photo was designed to look like the famous Trumper photo and illustrate the continutity of the game across cultures, time and nations.

 

[Lostman]

Id be more impressed if I knew that the monk photo was designed to look like the famous Trumper photo and illustrate the continutity of the game across cultures, time and nations.

that was very poetic

 

[Beleg]

street cricket, road cricket, gully cricket.
fun memories.

edit: we tried playing some at uni here in bradford a couple of years ago. got shafted. no wonder kids in uk, as a rule, dont give a flying **** about the game.

 

[KingViv]

I went to India to visit relatives at the age of 8. I couldn't speak my native tongue, Gujarati, but all I had to do was pick up a bat to play a game of cricket.

Unfortunately, I only remember playing a few deliveries because either the first or second delivery I played ended up being my last. I smashed the ball through a neighbor's window and everyone quickly scattered...

 

[SJS]

Okay here are some more.

First two from bombed out London just after World War II. Office-goers use two of many sites made available "thanks" to German bombers. . .

and then there is this touching picture from a residential school for boys with muscular dystrophy. . .

and a wasteland in Leeds in the 1950s