Famous Cricket Fans?

[archie mac]

Gary Lineker is a keen cricket fan and was a good quality batsman too - not forgetting he's also made century breaks at snooker. Bit of an all around smart arse (with big ears).

I read that he would have prefered to have been a Test cricketer

 

[kingkallis]

Did anyone mention Jeffrey Archer?

 

[Craig]

Who was that bloke that song with the words: "I don't like cricket, oh no, I love it"? I presume he counts as a cricket fan.

Bob Marley was IIRC.

 

[archie mac]

Who was that bloke that song with the words: "I don't like cricket, oh no, I love it"? I presume he counts as a cricket fan.

Bob Marley was IIRC.

10CC was the name of the band

 

[Bahnz]

The other half of the Fry&Laurie team is also a pretty big cricket fan. In the latest episodes of House you can see a cricket ball in his office from time to time.

Oh and Roger Federer is also a casual watcher of the game.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Oh and Roger Federer is also a casual watcher of the game.

Didn't know that, but his mum is South African (hence the Anglo first name), so I could believe it.

 

[zaremba]

Christian Vieri

 

[NZTailender]

Did anyone mention Jeffrey Archer?

I don't think there is any concrete proof that he likes Cricket and will as such deny it...

 

[Langeveldt]

Robert Mugabe

 

[fredfertang]

I thought Mugabe was a soccer fan and that his wonderfully named predecessor Canan Banana was the cricket enthusiast?

 

[wpdavid]

Well it is no scret that Phil Neville was a solid cricketer in his day before he choose football, Mike Atherton mentions in his book about playing with (or was against, I'm not sure) him and his brother and their father Neville Neville.

Wasn't there another member (not Mick Jagger) of the Rolling Stones who said he would have thrown the whole lot in to have played Test cricket for England?

Bill Wyman plays in charity games, so he's probably a fan. He tells a pretty good story about a game when he played against Mikey holding if anyone's interested.

 

[Langeveldt]

I thought Mugabe was a soccer fan and that his wonderfully named predecessor Canan Banana was the cricket enthusiast?

Think he said something along the lines of "Cricket civilises people and turns them into gentlemen, I want everyone to play cricket in Zimbabwe" - Obviously doesn't suggest he'll be calling for Redmond's axeing following a poor Gabba test, but he clearly has some respect for the game..

 

[wpdavid]

Think he said something along the lines of "Cricket civilises people and turns them into gentlemen, I want everyone to play cricket in Zimbabwe" - Obviously doesn't suggest he'll be calling for Redmond's axeing following a poor Gabba test, but he clearly has some respect for the game..

Yeah, I vaguely remember that quote too.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Bill Wyman plays in charity games, so he's probably a fan. He tells a pretty good story about a game when he played against Mikey holding if anyone's interested.

Go on then. I'd like to hear it.

Extra marks if it includes any references to him shagging Mandy Smith whilst she wasn't strictly legal, obv.

 

[wpdavid]

Go on then. I'd like to hear it.

Extra marks if it includes any references to him shagging Mandy Smith whilst she wasn't strictly legal, obv.

Ok then.

The day after a night of unbridled passion with said fifteen year old ...

Apart from that, BW surprised everyone by bowling Mike Holding with one of his 'off-breaks' in a charity game. Wyman & team-mates were obviously delighted, but Holding was seriously unhappy, and stomped off muttering about 'wait until it's your turn to bat ...'

During the tea break, several of Holding's team-mates came up to Wyman and told him how upset Mikey was, and how he'd better not have to face him when batting. Wyman didn't think too much about it until he came out to bat after Holding had taken the first wicket to fall. Obviously up to that point, Holding had operated off a much shorter run-up than usual, but at the sight of Wyman coming out to bat marched most of the way to the boundary. Likewise, the keeper & slips dropped back another 20 yards from where they had been standing. By this stage, BW was a worried man. First delivery, Holding runs it at full pelt like a man on a mission. Wyman, by now batting somewhere towards square leg, swishes hopefully without making contact and the keeper & slips go up as one for caught behind. Wyman looks at Holding & says something along the lines of " I didn't even see it, but I'm pretty sure I never touched it." To which Holding's reply was "Course you didn't man, the keeper had the ball all the time."

Obv the last bit benefits from a reasonable attempt at Holding's Jamaican drawl.


EDIT

And here it is in the words of the man himself. Isn't google wonderful?

http://www.billwyman.com/site/blog/212/

 

[Smudge]

For more on cricket visit: cricketjalwa.blogspot

Shove off, spammer.

 

[armchairumpire]

Aussie PM's come to mind..

I know John Howard - self confessed 'cricket tragic' has already been mentioned.

Sir Robert Menzies was a cricket fan.

Also Bob Hawke - had his glasses smashed trying to hook at a charity match. big cricket fan. He reinstated the PM's XI matches in Canberra in 1984.

Last summer Kevin Rudd was pictured at the SCG at the New Year Test sitting next to 'Huge' Jackman.

And while we are on leaders ...I saw some footage of George W Bush throwing down a couple of balls to some kids - think it was India - not sure.

 

[Craig]

Aussie PM's come to mind..

I know John Howard - self confessed 'cricket tragic' has already been mentioned.

Sir Robert Menzies was a cricket fan.

Also Bob Hawke - had his glasses smashed trying to hook at a charity match. big cricket fan. He reinstated the PM's XI matches in Canberra in 1984.

Last summer Kevin Rudd was pictured at the SCG at the New Year Test sitting next to 'Huge' Jackman.

And while we are on leaders ...I saw some footage of George W Bush throwing down a couple of balls to some kids - think it was India - not sure.

IIRC a former US President once went to a Pakistan Test match in Pakistan in the 50's or 60's. It was against the West Indies IIRC.

 

[morgieb]

Was actually against Australia that LBJ went to a test match.

 

[morgieb]

Eric Clapton

David Bunbury.